- 


The  Gift  of  Beatrix  Farrand 

to  the  General  Library 
University  of  Calif ornia,Berkeley 


Ex 

Libris 
BEATRIX 
FARRAND 

IkANDSCAPE 

ARCHITECTURE 


7; 

vr 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE 
WILD  FLOWERS 


-   .   -  -   :     X  . 


" 


" 


CONTENTS  ARCH. 


PAGE 

Preface      .........  vii 

How  to  Use  the  Book    ......  xi 

List  of  Plates  ........  xv 

Introductory  Chapter     .      .      .      .       .       .  xxi 

Explanation  of  Terms 

Notable  Plant  Families  .      .  . 

Flower  Descriptions: 

l.  wute    .             ......  / 

//.  Green     ........  113 

///.  Yellow   ........  /22 

7K  Pink       ........  194 

V.  Red                                               ...  254 

» 

VI.  Blue  and  Purple 

VII.  Miscellaneous 

Index  to  Latin  Names  ......  333 

to  English  Names      .      .      .      .      ,  339 

of  Technical  Terms  .....  346 


503 


"One  of  these  days  some  one  will  give  us  a  hand-book  of  our  wild  flow- 
ers, by  the  aid  of  which  we  shall  all  be  able  to  name  those  we  gather  in  out 
walks  without  the  trouble  of  analyzing  them.  In  this  book  we  shall  have  a 
list  of  all  our  flowers  arranged  according  to  color,  as  white  flowers,  blue 
flowers,  yellow  flowers,  pink  flowers.,  etc.,  with  place  of  growth  and  time  of 

blooming." 

JOHN  BURROUGHS 


PREFACE  TO  THE  NEW  EDITION 

IN  offering  the  public  an  edition  of  "  How  to  Know  the  Wild 
Flowers,"  containing  colored  reproductions  from  the  charming 
and  faithful  sketches  in  water  color  of  Miss  Elsie  Louise  Shaw, 
we  feel  sure  that  we  are  adding  materially  to  the  book's  actual 
value  as  well  as  to  its  attractiveness. 

As  color  plates  replace,  in  this  edition,  certain  of  the  black 
and  white  illustrations,  these,  with  a  few  others  have  been 
omitted  and  Miss  Satterlee  has  added  a  number  of  new  draw- 
ings. Some  of  these  black  and  white  plates  are  of  flowers  not 
before  figured  in  the  book,  while  others  present  in  fresh  forms 
subjects  already  illustrated  in  it. 

Quite  a  large  number  of  flowers  not  found  in  previous  edi- 
tions are  now  described,  and  advantage  has  been  taken  of  the 
opportunity  which  the  entire  resetting  of  the  book  afforded  for  a 
careful  revision  of  the  text.  This  amplification  has  seemed  ad- 
visable in  view  of  the  fact  that,  during  the  five  years  which  have 
elapsed  since  the  publication  of  a  thoroughly  revised  edition, 
the  peculiar  charm  or  importance  of  certain  plants  has  so  forced 
itself  upon  the  authors  consciousness,  or  else  been  brought  to 
her  notice  so  emphatically  by  others,  as  to  persuade  her  that 
their  inclusion  would  not  transgress  the  restrictions  originally 
laid  down  in  the  chapter  "  How  to  Use  the  Book,"  restrictions 
which  still  seem  indispensable  if  the  volume  is  to  be  kept  small 
enough  to  be  a  convenient  companion  in  the  woods  and  fields, 
and  simple  enough  to  appeal  to  the  unbotanical  flower  lover. 

It  is  hoped  that  these  additions  will  meet  with  the  approval 
of  the  public,  which  has  already  attested  so  generously  its  eager- 
ness to  know  the  wild  flowers. 

ALBANY  April  25,  1000. 

rii 


PREFACE  TO  THE  FIRST  EDITION 


THE  pleasure  of  a  walk  in  the  woods  and  fields  is  enhanced 
hundredfold  by  some  little  knowledge  of  the  flowers  which  we 
meet  at  every  turn.  Their  names  alone  serve  as  a  clew  to  their 
entire  histories,  giving  us  that  sense  of  companionship  with  our 
surroundings  which  is  so  necessary  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  out- 
door life.  But  if  we  have  never  studied  botany  it  has  been  no 
easy  matter  to  learn  these  names,  for  we  find  that  the  very  people 
who  have  always  lived  among  the  flowers  are  often  ignorant  of 
even  their  common  titles,  and  frequently  increase  our  eventual 
confusion  by  naming  them  incorrectly.  While  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  any  attempt  to  attain  our  end  by  means  of  some 
"  Key,"  which  positively  bristles  with  technical  terms  and  out- 
landish titles,  has  only  led  us  to  replace  the  volume  in  despair, 
sighing,  with  Emerson,  that  these  scholars 

"  Love  not  the  flower  they  pluck,  and  know  it  not, 
And  all  their  botany  is  Latin  names  !  " 

So  we  have  ventured  to  hope  that  such  a  book  as  this  will 
not  be  altogether  unwelcome,  and  that  our  readers  will  find  that 
even  a  bowing  acquaintance  with  the  flowers  repays  one  gen- 
erously for  the  effort  expended  in  its  achievement.  Such  an 
acquaintance  serves  to  transmute  the  tedium  of  a  railway  jour- 
ney into  the  excitement  of  a  tour  of  discovery.  It  causes  the 
monotony  of  a  drive  through  an  ordinarily  uninteresting  country 
to  be  forgotten  in  the  diversion  of  noting  the  wayside  flowers, 
and  counting  a  hundred  different  species  where  formerly  less 
than  a  dozen  would  have  been  detected.  It  invests  each  boggy 
meadow  and  bit  of  rocky  woodland  with  almost  irresistible  charm. 

vift 


PREFACE   TO    THE  FIRST  EDITION 

Surely  Sir  John  Lubbock  is  right  in  maintaining  that  "  those 
who  love  nature  can  never  be  dull,"  provided  that  love  be  ex- 
pressed by  an  intelligent  interest  rather  than  by  a  purely  senti- 
mental rapture. 

The  "  Flower  Descriptions  "  should  be  consulted  in  order  to 
learn  the  actual  dimensions  of  the  different  plants,  as  it  has  not 
always  been  possible  to  preserve  their  relative  sizes  in  the  illustra- 
tions. The  aim  in  the  drawings  has  been  to  help  the  reader  to 
identify  the  flowers  described  in  the  text,  and  to  this  end  they 
are  presented  as  simply  as  possible,  with  no  attempt  at  artistic 
arrangement  or  grouping. 

We  desire  to  express  our  thanks  to  Miss  Harriet  Procter,  of 
Cincinnati,  for  her  assistance  and  encouragement.  Acknowledg- 
ment of  their  kind  help  is  also  due  to  Mrs.  Seth  Doane,  of 
Orleans,  Mass.,  and  to  Mr.  Eugene  P.  Bicknell,  of  Riverdale, 
N.  Y.  To  Dr.  N.  L.  Britton,  of  Columbia  College,  we  are  in- 
debted for  permission  to  work  in  the  College  Herbarium. 

NEW  YORK,  March  15,  1893. 


HOW  TO  USE  THE  BOOK 


MANY  difficulties  have  been  encountered  in  the  arrangement 
of  this  guide  to  the  flowers.  To  be  really  useful  such  a  guide 
must  be  of  moderate  size,  easily  carried  in  the  woods  and  fields ; 
yet  there  are  so  many  flowers,  and  there  is  so  much  to  say  about 
them,  that  we  have  been  obliged  to  control  our  selection  and 
descriptions  by  certain  regulations  which  we  hope  will  commend 
themselves  to  the  intelligence  of  our  readers  and  secure  their 
indulgence  should  any  special  favorite  be  conspicuous  by  its 
absence. 

These  regulations  may  be  formulated  briefly  as  follows : 

1.  Flowers  so  common  as  to  be  generally  recognized  are 
omitted,  unless  some  peculiarity  or  fact  in  their  history  entitles 
them  to  special  mention. 

2.  Flowers  so  inconspicuous  as  generally  to  escape  notice  are 
usually  omitted. 

3.  Rare  flowers  and  escapes  from  gardens  are  usually  omitted. 

4.  Those  flowers  are  chosen  for  illustration  which  seem  en- 
titled to  prominence  on  account  of  their  beauty,  interest,  or  fre- 
quent occurrence. 

5.  Flowers  which  have  less  claim  upojn  the  general  public 
than  those  chosen  for  illustration  and  full  description,  yet  whiclf 
are  sufficiently  common  or  conspicuous  to  arouse  occasional  curi- 
osity, are  necessarily  dismissed  with  as  brief  a  description  as 
seems  compatible  with  their  identification. 

In  parts  of  New  England,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington,  I  have  been  enabled  to 
describe  many  of  our  wild  flowers  from  personal  observation  ; 
and  I  have  endeavored  to  increase  the  usefulness  of  the  book  by 

* 


HOW  TO    USE   THE  BOOK 

including  as  well  those  comparatively  few  flowers  not  found 
within  the  range  mentioned,  but  commonly  encountered  at  some 
point  this  side  of  Chicago. 

The  grouping  according  to  color  was  suggested  by  a  passage 
in  one  of  Mr.  Burroughs's  "  Talks  about  Flowers."  It  seemed, 
on  careful  consideration,  to  offer  an  easier  identification  than 
any  other  arrangement.  One  is  constantly  asked  the  name  of 
some  "  little  blue  flower,"  or  some  "large  pink  flower,"  noted 
by  the  wayside.  While  both  the  size  and  color  of  a  flower  fix 
themselves  in  the  mind  of  the  casual  observer,  the  color  is  the 
more  definitely  appreciated  characteristic  of  the  two  and  serves 
far  better  as  a  clew  to  its  identification. 

When  the  flowers  are  brought  in  from  the  woods  and  fields 
they  should  be  sorted  according  to  color  and  then  traced  to  their 
proper  places  in  the  various  sections.  As  far  as  possible  the 
flowers  have  been  arranged  according  to  the  seasons'  sequence, 
the  spring  flowers  being  placed  in  the  first  part  of  each  section, 
the  summer  flowers  next,  and  the  autumn  flowers  last. 

It  has  sometimes  been  difficult  to  determine  the  proper  posi- 
tion of  a  flower — blues,  purples,  and  pinks  shading  so  gradually 
one  into  another  a?  *o  cause  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  color 
of  a  blossom  among  the  most  accurate.  So  if  the  object  of  our 
search  is  not  found  in  the  firs'  section  consulted,  we  must  turn 
to  that  other  one  which  seems  mos,  likely  to  include  it. 

It  has  seemed  best  to  place  in  the  White  section  those  flowers 
which  are  so  faintly  tinted  with  other  colors  as  to  give  a  white 
effect  in  the  mass,  or  when  seen  at  a  distance.  Some  flowers  are 
so  green  as  to  seem  almost  entitled  to  a  section  of  their  own,  but 
if  closely  examined  the  green  is  found  to  be  so  diluted  with  white 
as  to  render  them  describable  by  the  term  greenish-white.  A 
white  flower  veined  with  pink  will  also  be  described  in  the  White 
section,  unless  its  general  effect  should  be  so  pink  as  to  entitle  it 
to  a  position  in  the  pink  section.  Such  a  flower  again  as  the 
Painted  Cup  is  placed  in  the  Red  section  because  its  floral  leaves 
are  so  red  that  probably  none  but  the  botanist  would  appreciat 

xii 


HOW  TO    USE   THE  BOOK 

that  the  actual  flowers  were  yellow.     Flowers  which  fail  to  sug 
gest  any  definite  color  are  relegated  to  the  Miscellaneous  section. 

With  the  description  of  each  flower  is  given — 

1.  Its  common  English  name — if  one  exists.     This  may  be 
looked  upon  as  its  "  nickname,"  a  title  attached  to  it  by  chance, 
often  endeared  to  us  by  long  association,  the  name  by  which  it 
may  be  known  in  one  part  of  the  country  but  not  necessarily  in 
another,  and  about  which,  consequently,  a  certain  amount  of 
disagreement  and  confusion  often  arises. 

2.  Its  scientific  name.     This  compensates  for  its   frequent 
lack  of  euphony  by  its  other  advantages.     It  is  usually  composed 
of  two  Latin — or  Latinized — words,  and  is  the  same  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  (which  fact  explains  the  necessity  of  its  Latin  form). 
Whatever  confusion  may  exist  as  to  a  flower's  English  name,  its 
scientific  one  is  an  accomplished  fact — except  in  those  rare  cases 
where  an  undescribed  species  is  encountered — and  rarely  admits 
of  dispute.     The  first  word  of  this  title  indicates  the  genus  of  the 
plant.     It  is  a  substantive,  answering  to  the  last  or  family  name 
of  a  person,  and  shows  the  relationship  of  all  the  plants  which 
bear  it.     The  second  word  indicates  the  species.     It  is  usually 
an  adjective,  which  betrays  some  characteristic  of  the  plant,  or 
it  may  indicate  the  part  of  the  country  in  which  it  is  found,  or 
the  person  in  whose  honor  it  was  named. 

3.  The  English  .title  of  the  larger  Family  to  which  the  plant 
belongs.     All  flowers  grouped  under  this  title  have  in  common 
certain  important  features  which  in  many  cases  are  too  obscure 
to  be  easily  recognized  ;  while  in  others  they  are  quite  obvious. 
One  who  wishes  to  identify  the  flowers  with  some  degree  of 
ease  should  learn  to  recognize  at  sight  such  Families  as  present 
conspicuously  characteristic  features. 

For  fuller  definitions,  explanations,  and  descriptions  than 
are  here  given,  Gray's  text-books  and  ''Manual"  should  be 
consulted.  After  some  few  flowers  have  been  compared  with 
the  partially  technical  description  which  prefaces  each  popular 
one,  little  difficulty  should  be  experienced  in  the  use  of  a  botan- 

xiu 


HOW  TO   USE   THE  BOOK 

ical  key.  Many  of  the  measurements  and  technical  descriptions 
have  been  based  upon  Gray's  "  Manual."  It  has  been  thought 
best  to  omit  any  mention  of  species  and  varieties  not  included 
in  the  latest  edition  of  that  work. 

An  ordinary  magnifying-glass  (such  as  can  be  bought  for 
seventy-five  cents),  a  sharp  penknife,  and  one  or  two  dissecting- 
needles  will  be  found  useful  in  the  examination  of  the  smaller 
flowers.  The  use  of  a  note-book,  with  jottings  as  to  the  date, 
color,  surroundings,  etc.,  of  any  newly  identified  flower,  is  rec- 
ommended. This  habit  impresses  on  the  memory  easily  forgotten 
but  important  details.  Such  a  book  is  also  valuable  for  further 
reference,  both  for  our  own  satisfaction  when  some  point  which 
our  experience  had  already  determined  has  been  forgotten,  and 
for  the  settlement  of  the  many  questions  which  are  sure  to  arise 
among  flower-lovers  as  to  the  localities  in  which  certain  flowers 
are  found,  the  dates  at  which  they  may  be  expected  to  appear 
and  disappear,  and  various  other  points  which  even  the  scientific 
books  sometimes  fail  to  decide. 

Some  of  the  flowers  described  are  found  along  every  country 
highway,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  these  wayside  plants 
may  usually  be  classed  among  the  foreign  population.  They 
have  been  brought  to  us  from  Europe  in  ballast  and  in  loads  of 
grain,  and  invariably  follow  in  the  wake  of  civilization.  Many 
of  our  most  beautiful  native  'flowers  have  been  crowded  out  of 
the  hospitable  roadside  by  these  aggressive,  irresistible,  and  mis- 
chievous invaders;  for  Mr.  Burroughs  points  out  that  nearly 
all  of  our  troublesome  weeds  are  emigrants  from  Europe.  We 
must  go  to  the  more  remote  woods  and  fields  if  we  wish  really 
to  know  our  native  plants.  Swamps  especially  offer  an  eagerlv 
"ought  asylum  to  our  shy  and  lovely  wild  flowers. 


xiv 


LIST  OF  PLATES 

Colored  Plates  are  marked  with  *. 

PLATE  PAGB 

I.   *BLOOD-Roor Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  .     .       ? 

II.   RUE  ANEMONE Anemonella  thalictroides,  .     .  5 

WOOD  ANEMONE,      .     .     .  Anemone  nemorosa,  ....  5 

III.  STAR-FLOWER, Trienta Us  Americana,  ...  7 

Maianthemum  Canadense,      .  7 

IV.  *PYXIE, Pyxidanthera  barbulata,    .     .  8 

V.  CRINKLE-ROOT,     ....  Dentaria  diphylla,    .     .     .     .  1 1 

VI.  MAY-APPLE, Podophyllum  peltatum,      .     .  13 

VII.  EARLY  SAXIFRAGE,    .     .     .  Saxifraga  Virginiensis,     .     .  15 

VIII.  MITRE-WORT, Mitella  diphylla,       ....  17 

IX.  "LARGER  WHITE  TRILLIUM,  Trillium  grandiflorum,     .     .  18 

X.  SPIKENARD, Aralia  racemosa,      .     .     .     .  21 

XI.   FALSE  SOLOMON'S  SEAL,    .  Smilacina  racemosa,      ...  25 

XII.  MAPLE-LEAVED  VIBURNUM,  Viburnum  acerifolium,      .     .  27 

XIII.  ARROW-WOOD Viburnum  dentatum,    ...  29 

XIV.  ROUND-LEAVED  DOGWOOD,  Cornus  circinata,      ....  31 
XV.  RED-OSIER  DOGWOOD,  .     .  Cornus  stolonifera,    ....  33 

XVI.   "HAWTHORN, Cratcegas  coccinea,     ....  34 

XVII.  WHITE  BANEBERRY,       .     .     Actcea  alba 35 

XVIII.   BUNCH-BER^RY,       ....  Cornus  Canadensis,       .     .     .  37 

XIX.   *BUCKBEAN, Menyanthes  trifoliata,  ...  38 

XX.  WATER  ARUM,      ....     Calla  palustris, 41 

XXI.  MOUNTAIN  LAUREL,       .     .     Kalmia  latifolia 45 

XXII.  AMERICAN  RHODODENDRON,  Rhododendron  Maximum,       .  47 

XXIII.  WHITE   SWAMP   HONEY- 

.    SUCKLE Rhododendron  viscosum,     .     .  49 

XXIV.  SQUAW  HUCKLEBERRY,       .  Vaccinium  stamineum,      .     .  53 
XXV.  *LABRADOR  TEA,  ....  Ledum  latifolium,    ....  54 

XXVI.  SHIN-LEAF, Pyrola  elliptica, 57 

XXVII.   PlPSISSEWA, Chimaphila  umbellata,       .     .  59 

XXVIII.  WINTERGREEN,      ....  Gaultheria  procumbens,      .     .  61 

XXIX.  NEW  JERSEY  TEA,     .     .     .  Ceanothus  Americanus,     .     .  65 

XXX.  THIMBLE-WEED,    ....  Anemone  Virginiana.  ...  69 


LIST  OF  PLATES 

PLATE  PAGE 

XXXI.   BLACK  COHOSH,       .     .     .  Cimicifuga  racemosa,    ...      71 

XXXII.   ^PARTRIDGE  VINE,      .     .     Mitchella  repens 72 

XXXIII.  BUTTON  BUSH,  ....  Cephalanthus  occidentalis,       .     75 

XXXIV.  POKEWEED Phytolacca  decandra,     ...      79 

XXXV.  MEADOW-SWEET,     .     .     .  Spircea  salicifolia,   .     .     .     .     81 

XXXVI.  ^THREE-TOOTHED  CINQUE- 
FOIL,       Potentilla  tridentata,     ...     82 

XXXVII.   RATTLESNAKE  PLANTAIN,  Goodyera  pubescens,       ...     85 

'XXXVIII.  SWEET  PEPPERBUSH,  .     .  Clethra  alnifolia,     ....     87 

XXXIX.  WILD  BALSAM-APPLE,       .  Echinocyslis  lobata,       ...     89 

XL.  TRAVELLER'S  JOY,  .     .     .  Clematis  Virginiana,    ...     95 

XLI.  TURTLE-HEAD,    ....     Chelone  glabra, 97 

XLII.  *  WHITE  HEATH  ASTER,  .     Aster  ericoides, 98 

XLIII.   *PoiNTED-LEAVED  ASTER,   Aster  acuminatus 98 

XLIV.   BONESET, Eupatorium  perfoliatum,    .     .    101 

XLV.   WHITE  SNAKEROOT,    .     .  Eupatorium  ageratoides,    .     .    103 

XLVI.   LADIES'  TRESSES,  .     .     .     Spiranthes  cernua 107 

XLVII.   GRASS  OF  PARNASSUS,      .  Parnassia  Caroliniana,      .     .    in 

XLVIII.  CARRION-FLOWER,  .     .     .  Smilax  herbacea,      .     .     .     .115 

XLIX.   POISON  IVY, Rhus  Toxicodendron,    .     .     .117 

L.   RAGGED  FRINGED  ORCHIS,  Habenaria  lacera,     .     .     .     .119 

LI.   MARSH  MARIGOLD,      .     .  Caltha  palustris,      ....    123 

LII.   SPICE  BUSH Lindera  Benzoin 125 

LIII.  *YELLOW    ADDER'S 

TONGUE, Erythronium  Americanum,    .    126 

LIV.    *WoOD  BETONY,     .     .     .  Pedicularis  Canadensis,     .      .128 

LV.   SOLOMON'S  SEAL,    .     .     .  Polygonatum  bifiorum,       .     .129 

LVI.  BELLWORT Oakesia  sessilifolia, '.     .     .     .131 

....  Uvularia  perfoliata,      .     .     .    131 

LVII.   *CYNTHIA, Krigia  Virginica,     .     .     .     .134 

LVIII.   ....  Clintonia  borealis,     ....    137 

LIX.  GOLDEN  RAGWORT,     .     .     Senecio  aureus, 139 

LX.  INDIAN  CUCUMBER  ROOT,  Medeola  Virginiana,     .     .     .   141 

LXI.  *YELLOW  LADY'S  SLIPPER,  Cypripedium  pubescens,      .     .    142 

LXII.   RATTLESNAKE-WEED,  .     .  Hieracium  venosum,     .     .     .143 

LXIII.   *RouGH  HAWKWEED,      .  Hieracium  scabrum,      .     .     .   146 

LX1V.   COMMON  CINQUEFOIL,      .  Potentilla  Canadensis,  .     .     .   147 

LXV.  YELLOW  AVENS,     .     .     .     Geum  strictum, 149 

LXVI.  BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE,   .     .  Diervilla  trifida,      .     .     .     .151 
LXVII.  FOUR-LEAVED    LOOSE- 

STRIFE, Lysimachia  quadrifolia,     .      .153 

LXVIII.  YELLOW  LOOSESTRIFE,    .  Lysimachia  stricta,  ....   155 

xvi 


LIST  OF  PLATES 


PLATE 
T  YTV               .... 

PAGE 

Steironema  ciliatum,     .     .     .157 
Lilium  Canadense,  ....    160 
,  Utricularia  cornuta,     .     .     .162 

Hypericum  perforatum,      .     .   165 
Verbascum  Thapsus,     .     .     .167 
Verbascum  Blattaria,    .     .     .169 
Agrimonia  Eupatoria,  .     .     .173 

LXX.  *MEADOW  LILY,  .     .     . 
LXXI.  "HORNED  BLADDERWORT 
LXXII.  COMMON     ST.    JOHN'S- 

WORT  

LXXIII.  COMMON  MULLEIN, 
LXXIV.  MOTH  MULLEIN,      .     . 
LXXV.  AGRIMONY  
LXXVI.  PALE  JEWEL-WEED, 
LXXVII.  EVENING  PRIMROSE,     . 
LXXVIII.  ELECAMPANE,  .... 
LXXIX.  *WILD  SUNFLOWER,     . 
LXXX.  STICK-TIGHT,  .... 
LXXXI.  LARGER  BUR  MARIGOLD, 
LXXXII.  SILVER-ROD,    .... 
LXXXIII.  SMOOTH     FALSE     Fox- 

GLOVE,      

LXXXIV.  *WITCH  HAZEL,  .     .     . 
LXXXV.  TRAILING  ARBUTUS,      . 
TWIN-FLOWER,     .     .     . 
LXXXVI.  *SPRING  BEAUTY,     .     . 
LXXXVII.  *SHOWY  ORCHIS,      .     . 

T  YYYVTTT     * 

CEnothera  biennis,    .     .     .     .179 
Inula  Helenium  181 

Helianthus  giganteus,  .     .     .    182 
Bidens  frondosa,       .     .     .     .183 
Bidens  chrysanthemoides,  .     .    185 
Solidago  bicolor         ...         180 

Gerardia  quercifolia,     .     .     .    191 
Hamamelis  Virginiana,     .     .192 

Linncca  borealis,       ....    197 
Claytonia  Virginica,     .     .     .198 
Orchis  spectabilis,     .     .           .   200 

Rhododendron  Rhodora,     .     .   202 
Silene  Pennsylvania,  .     .     .   203 
Cypriptdium  acaule,     Frontispiece 
Corydalis  glauca,     ....   207 
Rhododendron  nudiflorum,      .   209 
Poly  gala  paucifolia,       .     .     .210 
Poly  gala  paucifolia,       .     .     .211 
Poly  gala  polygama,       .     .     .211 
Polygata  sanguinea,      .     .     .211 
Kalmia  angusti  folia,     .     .     .213 
Cypripedium  spec  labile,      .     .214 
Pogonia  ophioghssoides,      .     .217 
Vaccinium  macrocarpon,    .     .217 
Calopogon  pulchellus,    .     .     .218 
Apocynunt  androscemifolium,     219 

LXXXIX.  WILD  PINK,    .... 
XC.  PINK  LADY'S  SLIPPER, 
XCI.  PALE  CORYDALIS,     .     . 
XCII.  PINK  AZALEA,      .     .     . 
XCIII.  *FRINGED  POLYGALA,  . 
XCIV.  FRINGED  POLYGALA,     . 

MlLKVVORT  

XCV.  SHEEP  LAUREL,  .     .     . 
XCVI.  *SHOWY  LADY'S  SLIPPER, 
XCVII.  "ADDER'S  MOUTH,  .     . 
AMERICAN  CRANBERRY, 

YPVITT     * 

XCIX.  SPREADING  DOGBANE,  . 
C.  PURPLE-FLOWERING 
RASPBERRY,      .     .     . 
CI.  *PHILADELPHIA    FLEA- 
BANE       

Erigeron  Philadelphicus,   .     .222 
Geranium  Robertianum,     .     .  22$ 

CII.  HERB  ROBERT,    .    .    . 
xvii 

LIST  OF  PLATES 

PLATE  PAGR 

CIII.   MOUNTAIN  FRINUK,      .  Adlumia  cirrhosa,    ....  227 

CIV.   FlREWEED Epilobium  angusti/olium,  .     .   231 

CV.  STEEPLE  BUSH,    .     .     .     Spiraea  tomentosa 233 

CVI.  *PlNK  KNOTWEED,  .     .  Polygonum  Pennsylvanicum^     234 

CVII.   PURPLE  LOOSESTRIFE,  .  Lythrum  Salicaria,       .     .     .  235 

CVIII.  MEADOW-BEAUTY,     .     .  Rhexia  Virginica,    ....  237 

CIX.  *LARGE  SEA  PINK,  .     .  Sabbatia  chloroides,  ....  238 

CX.  ROSE  MALLOW,    .     .     .  Hibiscus  Moscheutos,    .     .     .241 

CXI.  *MusK  MALLOW,     .     .  Malva  moschata^      ....  242 

CXII.  MARSH   St.   JOHN'S- 

WORT, Elodes  campanulata,      .     .     .   243 

CXIII.  TICK  TREFOIL,     .     .     .  Dcsmodium  Canadense,      .     .  245 

CXIV.   BOUNCING  BET,   .     .     .  Saponaria  officinalis,     .     .     .   247 

CXV.  PURPLE  GERARDIA,  .     .     Gerardia  purpurea 249 

CXVI.  JOE-PYE-WEED,    .     .     .  Eupatorium  purpureum,    .     .251 

CXVII.  *WlLD  COLUMBINE,      .  Aquilegia  Canadensis,       .     .   254 

CXVIII.  WAKE  ROBIN,      .     .     .      Trillium  erectum 257 

CXIX.  *PAINTED  CUP,    .     .     .     Castilleia  coceinea 258 

CXX.  *PiTCHER  PLANT,     .     .  Sarracenia  purpurea,    .     .     .   260 

CXXI.  WOOD  LILY,   ....  Lilium  Philadelphicum,     .     .261 

CXXII.  TURK'S  CAP  LILY,   .     .  Lilium  superbum,    ....  263 

CXXIII.  BUTTERFLY-WEED,    .     .  Asclepias  tuberosa,  ....  265 

CXXIV.  TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE,  Lonicera  sempervirens,      .     .  267 

CXXV.  *CARDINAL  FLOWER,    .  Lobelia  cardinalis,   ....  268 

CXXVI.  LIVERWORT Hepatica  triloba,      ;     ...   271 

CXXVII.  *BiRD-FOOT  VIOLET,    .      Viola  pedata 272 

CXXVIII.  *DoG  VIOLET,     .     .     .  Viola  canina ;    var.  Muhlen- 

burgii 274 

CXXIX.  BLUETS Houstonia  ccerulea 275 

CXXX.  WILD  GERANIUM,    .     .  Geranium  maculatum,       .     .  277 

CXXXI.   SKULL-CAP Scutellaria  galericulata,     .     .   283 

CXXXII.  *COMMON  SPEEDWELL,  Veronica  ojficinalis,       .     .     .  284 

CXXXIII.  WILD  LUPINE,     .     .     .     Lupinus perennis 287 

CXXXIV.  *PURPLE  FRINGED 

ORCHIS, Habenaria  fimbriata,     .     .     .   288 

CXXXV.  SELF-HEAL,      ....  Brunella  vulgaris,  ....  289 

CXXXVI.  *ARETHUSA Arethusa  bulbosa,     ....  290 

CXXXVII.  BLUE  VETCH,  ....     Vicia  Cracca, 295 

CXXXVIII.  *PEPPERMINT,      .     .     .  Mentha  Piperita,     ....  296 

CXXXIX.  BLUEWEED Echium  vulgare,      ....  297 

CXL.  *PlCKEREL-WEED,     .     .  Pontedaria  cardata,       .     .     .   298 

CXLI.  *HAREBELL,    .     .  Campanufa  rotundifolia,   .     .    298 


LIST  OF  PLATES 


PLAT« 

CXLII.  NIGHTSHADE,  .  .  . 
CXLIII.  SEA  LAVENDER,  .  . 
CXLIV.  HOG  PEANUT,  .  .  . 

CXLV.  CHICORY 

CXLVI.  NEW  ENGLAND  ASTER, 

CXLVII.  *BLUE-WOOD  ASTER,  . 

CXLVIII.  *NEW  YORK  ASTER,   . 

CXLIX.  IRON-WEED 

CL.  *BLAZING  STAR,      .     . 

CLI.  *CLOSED  GENTIAN,     . 

CLII.  *FRINGED  GENTIAN,   . 

CLIII.  SKUNK  CABBAGE,    .     . 

CLIV.  WILD  GINGER,   .     .     . 

CLV.    JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT,    . 
CLVI.    *LlLY-LEAVED    LlPARIS, 

CLVII.  BEECHDROPS,  .  .  . 
CLVIII.  WILD  BEAN, 


Solatium  Dulcamara,    . 
Statice  Carolimana, 
Amphicarpaa  monoica, 
Cichorium  Intybus^ . 
Aster  N<n>a  Anglia, 
Aster  cordifolius.       .     . 
Aster  Novi  Belgii,  .     . 
Vernonia  Novebora£ensist 
Liatris  scariosa,  .     .     . 
Gentiana  Andrewsii,     . 
Gentiana  crinita, 
Symplocarpus  f&tidus,  . 
Asarum  Canadfnse, 
A  rise  ma  triphyllum,     . 
Liparis  lilitfolia, 
Epiphegus  Virginiana, 
Afios  tuberosa,     .     .     . 


301 
305 
307 
309 
3U 
3H 
3H 
315 
316 
3i8 
320 

323 
325 
327 

328 

329 
331 


"  MOST  young  people  find  botany  a  dull  study.  So  it  is,  as  taught  from 
the  text-books  in  the  schools  ;  but  study  it  yourself  in  the  fields  and  woods, 
and  you  will  find  it  a  source  of  perennial  delight." 

JOHN  BURROUGHS. 


HOW  TO   KNOW  THE  WILD   FLOWERS 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 

UNTIL  a  comparatively  recent  period  the  interest  in  plants 
centred  largely  in  the  medicinal  properties,  and  sometimes  in 
the  supernatural  powers,  which  were  attributed  to  them. 

" —  O  who  can  tell 
The  hidden  power  of  herbes  and  might  of  magick  spell  ? — " 

sang  Spenser  in  the  "  Faerie  Queene;  "  and  to  this  day  the  names 
of  many  of  our  wayside  plants  bear  witness,  not  alone  to  the 
healing  properties  which  their  owners  were  supposed  to  possess, 
but  also  to  the  firm  hold  which  the  so-called  "  doctrine  of  sig- 
natures "  had  upon  the  superstitious  mind  of  the  public.  In  an 
early  work  on  "  The  Art  of  Simpling,"  by  one  William  Coles, 
we  read  as  follows:  ''Yet  the  mercy  of  God  which  is  over  all 
his  works,  maketh-Grasse  to  grow  upon  the  Mountains  and  Herbes 
for  the  use  of  men,  and  hath  not  only  stamped  upon  them  a  dis- 
tinct forme,  but  also  given  them  particular  signatures,  whereby  a 
man  may  read,  even  in  legible  characters,  the  use  of  them." 
Our  hepatica  or  liver-leaf,  owes  both  its  generic  and  English 
titles  to  its  leaves,  which  suggested  the  form  of  the  organ  after 
which  the  plant  is  named,  and  caused  it  to  be  considered  ' '  a 
sovereign  remedy  against  the  heat  and  inflammation  of  the 
liver."* 

Although  his  once-renowned  system  of  classification  has 
since  been  discarded  on  account  of  its  artificial  character,  it  is 
probably  to  Linnaeus  that  the  honor  is  due  of  having  raised  the 

*Lyte. 

"ad 


HOW  TO  KNOW   THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

study  of  plants  to  a  rank  which  had  never  before  been  accorded 
it.  The  Swedish  naturalist  contrived  to  inspire  his  disciples 
with  an  enthusiasm,  and  to  invest  the  flowers  with  a  charm  and 
personality  which  awakened  a  wide-spread  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject. It  is  only  since  his  day  that  the  unscientific  nature-lover, 
wandering  through  those  woods  and  fields  where 

4  •  — wide  around,  the  marriage  of  the  plants 
Is  sweetly  solemnized — " 

IMS  man-died  to  find  the  same  laws  in  vogue  in  the  floral  as  in 
the  animal  world. 

To  Darwin  we  owe  our  knowledge  of  the  significance  of 
color,  form,  and  fragrance  in  flowers.  These  subjects  have  been 
widely  discussed  during  the  last  twenty-five  years,  because  of 
their  dose  connection  with  the  theory  of  natural  selection ;  they 
have  also  been  more  or  less  enlarged  upon  in  modern  text-books. 
Nevertheless,  it  seems  wiser  to  repeat  what  is  perhaps  already 
known  to  the  reader,  and  to  allude  to  some  of  the  interesting 
theories  connected  with  these  topics,  rather  than  to  incur  the  risk 
of  obscurity  by  omitting  all  explanation  of  facts  and  deductions 
to  which  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  refer. 

It  is  agreed  that  the  object  of  a  flower's  life  is  the  making  of 
seed,  />.,  the  continuance  of  its  kind.  Consequently  its  most 
essential  parts  are  its  reproductive  organs,  the  stamens,  and  the 
pistil  or  pistils. 

The  stamens  (p.  xxxi)  are  the  fertilizing  organs.  These  pro- 
duce the  powdery,  quickening  material  called  pollen,  in  little 
sacs  which  are  borne  at  the  tips  of  their  slender  stalks. 

The  pistil  (p.  xxxii)  is  the  seed-bearing  organ.  The  pollen- 
grains  which  are  deposited  on  its  roughened  summit  throw  out 
minute  tubes  which  penetrate  the  style,  reaching  the  little  ovules 
in  the  ovary  below,  and  quickening  them  into  life. 

These  two  kinds  of  organs  can  easily  be  distinguished  in  any 
large,  simple,  complete  flower  (p.  xxx).  The  pollen  of  ths  sta- 
mens, and  the  ovules  which  line  the  base  of  the  pistil,  can  also 
be  detected  with  the  aid  of  an  ordinary  magmfying-glass, 

xxii 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 

Now,  we  have  been  shown  that  nature  apparently  prefers  that 
the  pistil  of  a  flower  should  not  receive  its  pollen  from  the  stamens 
in  the  same  flower-cup  with  itself.  Experience  teaches  that 
sometimes  when  this  happens  no  seeds  result.  At  other  times 
the  seeds  appear,  but  they  are  less  healthy  and  vigorous  than 
those  which  are  the  outcome  of  cross-fertilization — the  term 
used  by  botanists  to  describe  the  quickening  of  the  ovules  in  one 
blossom  by  the  pollen  from  another. 

But  perhaps  we  hardly  realize  the  importance  of  abundant 
health  and  vigor  in  a  plant's  offspring. 

Let  us  suppose  that  our  eyes  are  so  keen  as  to  enable  us  to 
note  the  different  seeds  which,  during  one  summer,  seek  to  secure 
a  foothold  in  some  few  square  inches  of  the  sheltered  roadside. 
The  neighboring  herb-roberts  and  jewel- weeds  discharge — cata- 
pult fashion — several  small  invaders  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
little  territory.  A  battalion  of  silky-tufted  seeds  from  the 
cracked  pods  of  the  milkweed  float  downward  and  take  lazy 
possession  of  the  soil,  while  the  heavy  rains  wash  into  their  im- 
mediate vicinity  those  of  the  violet  from  the  overhanging  bank. 
The  hooked  fruit  of  the  stick-tight  is  finally  brushed  from  the 
hair  of  some  exasperated  animal  by  the  jagged  brandies  of  the 
neighboring  thicket  and  is  deposited  on  the  disputed  ground, 
while  a  bird  passing  just  overhead  drops  earthward  the  seed  of 
the  partridge  berry.  ,  The  ammunition  of  the  witch-hazel,  too, 
is  shot  into  the  midst  of  this  growing  colony  ;  to  say  nothing  of 
a  myriad  more  little  squatters  that  are  wafted  or  washed  or 
dropped  or  flung  upon  this  one  bit  of  earth,  which  is  thus  trans- 
formed into  a  bloodless  battle-ground,  and  which  is  incapable  of 
yielding  nourishment  to  one-half  or  one-tenth  or  even  one  hun- 
dredth of  these  tiny  strugglers  for  life ! 

So,  to  avoid  diminishing  the  vigor  of  their  progeny  by  self- 
fertilization  (the  reverse  of  cross-fertilization),  various  species 
take  various  precautions.  In  one  species  the  pistil  is  so  placed 
that  the  pollen  of  the  neighboring  stamens  cannot  reach  it.  In 
others  one  of  these  two  organs  ripens  before  the  other,  with 
the  result  that  the  contact  of  the  pollen  with  the  stigma  of  the 

xzm 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

pistil  would  be  ineffectual.  Often  the  stamens  and  pistils  are 
in  different  flowers,  sometimes  on  different  plants.  But  these 
pistils  must,  if  possible,  receive  the  necessary  pollen  in  some  way 
and  fulfil  their  destiny  by  setting  seed.  And  we  have  been 
shown  that  frequently  it  is  brought  to  them  by  insects,  occa- 
sionally by  birds,  and  that  sometimes  it  is  blown  to  them  by  the 
winds. 

Ingenious  devices  are  resorted  to  in  order  to  secure  these 
desirable  results.  Many  flowers  make  themselves  useful  to  the 
insect  world  by  secreting  somewhere  within  their  dainty  cups 
little  glands  of  honey,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  nectar,  for 
honey  is  the  result  of  the  bees'  work.  This  nectar  is  highly 
prized  by  the  insects,  and  is  in  many  cases  the  only  object 
which  attracts  them  to  the  flowers,  although  sometimes  the  pollen, 
which  Darwin  believes  to  have  been  the  only  inducement  offered 
formerly,  is  sought  as  well. 

But  of  course  this  nectar  fails  to  induce  visits  unless  the  bee's 
attention  is  first  attracted  to  the  blossom,  and  it  is  tempted  to 
explore  the  premises ;  and  we  now  observe  the  interesting  fact 
that  those  flowers  which  depend  upon  insect-agency  for  their 
pollen,  usually  advertise  their  whereabouts  by  wearing  bright 
colors  or  by  exhaling  fragrance.  It  will  also  be  noticed  that 
a  flower  sufficiently  conspicuous  to  arrest  attention  by  its  ap- 
pearance alone  is  rarely  fragrant. 

When,  attracted  by  either  of  these  significant  characteristics — 
color  or  fragrance — the  bee  alights  upon  the  blossom,  it  is  some- 
times guided  to  the  very  spot  where  the  nectar  lies  hidden  by 
markings  of  some  vivid  color.  Thrusting  its  head  into  the  heart 
of  the  flower  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  the  secret  treasure, 
it  unconsciously  strikes  the  stamens  with  sufficient  force  to  cause 
them  to  powder  its  body  with  pollen.  Soon  it  flies  away  to 
another  plant  of  the  same  kind,  where,  in  repeating  the  process 
just  described,  it  unwittingly  brushes  some  of  the  pollen  from 
the  first  blossom  upon  the  pistil  of  the  second,  where  it  helps  to 
make  new  seeds.  Thus  these  busy  bees  which  hum  so  restlessly 
through  the  long  summer  days  are  working  better  than  they 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 

know  and  are  accomplishing  more  important  feats  than  the  mere 
honey-making  which  we  usually  associate  with  their  ceaseless 
activity. 

Those  flowers  which  are  dependent  upon  night-flying  in- 
sects for  their  pollen  contrive  to  make  themselves  noticeable 
by  wearing  white  or  pale  yellow — red,  blue,  and  pink  being  with 
difficulty  detected  in  the  darkness.  They,  too,  frequently  in- 
dicate their  presence  by  exhaling  perfume,  which  in  many 
cases  increases  in  intensity  as  the  night  falls  and  a  clew  to 
their  whereabouts  becomes  momentarily  more  necessary.  This 
fact  partially  accounts  for  the  large  proportion  of  fragrant 
white  flowers.  Darwin  found  that  the  proportion  of  sweet- 
scented  white  flowers  to  sweet-scented  red  ones  was  14.6  per 
cent,  of  white  to  8.2  of  red. 

We  notice  also  that  some  of  these  night-fertilized  flowers 
close  during  the  day,  thus  insuring  themselves  against  the  visits 
of  insects  which  might  rob  them  of  their  nectar  or  pollen,  and 
yet  be  unfitted  by  the  shape  of  their  bodies  to  accomplish  their 
fertilization.  On  the  other  hand,  many  blossoms  which  are 
dependent  upon  the  sun-loving  bees  close  at  night,  securing  the 
same  advantage. 

Then  there  are  flowers  which  close  in  the  shade,  others  at 
the  approach  of  a  storm,  thus  protecting  their  pollen  and  nectar 
from  the  dissolving  rain ;  others  at  the  same  time  every  day. 
Linnaeus  invented  a  famous  "flower-clock,"  which  indicated 
the  hours  of  the  day  by  the  closing  of  different  flowers.  This 
habit  of  closing  has  been  called  the  "  sleep  of  flowers." 

There  is  one  far  from  pleasing  class  of  flowers  which  entices 
insect-visitors — not  by  attractive  colors  and  alluring  fragrance — 
but  "  by  deceiving  flies  through  their  resemblance  to  putrid  meat 
— imitating  the  lurid  appearance  as  well  as  the  noisome  smell 
of  carrion."*  Our  common  carrion  -  flower  (Plate  XLVIII), 
which  covers  the  thickets  so  profusely  in  early  summer  that 
Thoreau  complained  that  every  bush  and  copse  near  the  river 
emitted  an  odor  which  led  one  to  imagine  that  all  the  dead  dogs 

*  Grant  Allen. 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

in  the  neighborhood  had  drifted  to  its  shore,  is  probably  an 
example  of  this  class,  without  lurid  color,  but  certainly  with  a 
sufficiently  noisome  smell !  Yet  this  foul  odor  seems  to  answer 
the  plant's  purpose  as  well  as  their  delicious  aroma  does  that  of 
more  refined  blossoms,  if  the  numberless  small  flies  which  it 
manages  to  attract  are  fitted  to  successfully  transmit  its  pollen. 

Certain  flowers  are  obviously  adapted  to  the  visits  of  in- 
sects by  their  irregular  forms.  The  fringed  or  otherwise  con- 
spicuous lip  and  long  nectar-bearing  spur  of  many  orchids  point 
to  their  probable  dependence  upon  insect  agency  for  perpetua- 
tion ;  while  the  papilionaceous  blossoms  of  the  Pulse  family  also 
betray  interesting  adaptations  for  cross-fertilization  by  the  same 
means.  Indeed  it  is  believed  that  irregularity  of  form  is  rarely 
conspicuous  in  a  blossom  that  is  not  visited  by  insects. 

The  position  of  a  nodding  flower,  like  the  harebell,  protects 
its  pollen  and  nectar  from  the  rain  and  dew ;  while  the  hairs  in 
the  throat  of  many  blossoms  answer  the  same  purpose  and  ex- 
clude useless  insects  as  well. 

Another  class  of  flowers  which  calls  for  special  mention  is  that 
which  is  dependent  upon  the  wind  for  its  pollen.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  observe  that  this  group  expends  little  effort  in  useless 
adornment.  "The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth  "  and  takes 
no  note  of  form  or  color.  So  here  we  find  those 

"  Wan  flowers  without  a  name," 

which,  unheeded,  line  the  way-side.  The  common  plantain  of 
the  country  dooryard,  from  whose  long  tremulous  stamens  the 
light,  dry  pollen  is  easily  blown,  is  a  familiar  example  of  this 
usually  ignored  class.  Darwin  first  observed,  that  "when  a 
flower  is  fertilized  by  the  wind  it  never  has  a  gayly  colored  co- 
rolla." Fragrance  and  nectar  as  well  are  usually  denied  these 
sombre  blossoms.  Such  is  the  occasional  economy  of  that  at 
times  most  reckless  of  all  spendthrifts — nature  ! 

Some  plants — certain  violets  and  the  jewel- weeds  among 
others — bear  small  inconspicuous  blossoms  which  depend  upon 
no  outside  agency  for  fertilization.  These  never  open,  thus 

xxvi 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 

effectually  guarding  their  pollen  from  the  possibility  of  being 
blown  away  by  the  wind,  dissolved  by  the  rain,  or  stolen  by 
insects.  They  are  called  cleistogamous  flowers. 

Nature's  clever  devices  for  securing  a  wide  dispersion  of 
seeds  have  been  already  hinted  at.  One  is  tempted  to  dwell  at 
length  upon  the  ingenious  mechanism  of  the  elastically  bursting 
capsules  of  one  species,  and  the  deft  adjustment  of  the  silky  sails 
which  waft  the  seeds  of  others ;  on  the  barbed  fruits  which  have 
pressed  the  most  unwilling  into  their  prickly  service,  and  the 
bright  berries  which  so  temptingly  invite  the  hungry  winter 
birds  to  peck  at  them  till  their  precious  contents  are  released, 
or  to  devour  them,  digesting  only  the  pulpy  covering  and  allow- 
ing the  seeds  to  escape  uninjured  into  the  earth  at  some  conven- 
iently remote  spot. 

Then  one  would  like  to  pause  long  enough  to  note  the  slow 
movements  of  the  climbing  plants  and  the  uncanny  ways  of  the 
insect-devourers.  At  our  very  feet  lie  wonders  for  whose  eluci- 
dation a  lifetime  would  be  far  too  short.  Yet  if  we  study  for 
ourselves  the  mysteries  of  the  flowers,  and,  when  daunted,  seek 
their  interpretation  in  those  devoted  students  who  have  made 
this  task  part  of  their  life-work,  we  may  hope  finally  to  attain  at 
least  a  partial  insight  into  those  charmed  lives  which  find 

"  — tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 
Sekmons  in  Stones,  and  good  in  everything." 


xxvii 


EXPLANATION  OF  TERMS 

THE  comprehension  of  the  flower  descriptions  and  of  the 
opening  chapters  will  be  facilitated  by  the  reading  of  the  fol- 
lowing explanation  of  terms.  For  words  or  expressions  other 
than  those  which  are  included  in  this  section,  the  Index  of 
Technical  Terms  at  the  end  of  the  book  should  be  consulted. 

The  Root  of  a  plant  is  the  part  which  grows  downward  into 
the  ground  and  absorbs  nourishment  from  the  soil.  True  roots 
bear  nothing  besides  root-branches  or  rootlets. 

"  The  Stem  is  the  axis  of  the  plant,  the  part  which  bears  all 
the  other  organs."  (Gray.) 

A  Rootstock  is  a  creeping  stem  which  grows  beneath  the 
surface  of  the  earth.  (See  Blood -root  and  Solomon's  Seal.  Pis. 
I.  and  LV.) 

A  Tuber  is  a  thickened  end  of  a  rootstock,  bearing  buds, 
— "  eyes," — on  its  sides.  The  common  Potato  is  a  familiar  ex- 
ample of  a  tuber,  being  a  portion  of  the  stem  of  the  potato  plant. 

A  Corm  is  a  short,  thick,  fleshy  underground  stem  which 
sends  off  roots  from  its  lower  face.  (See  Jack-in-the-Pulpit, 
PL  CLV.) 

A  Bulb  is  an  underground  stem,  the  main  body  of  which 
consists  of  thickened  scales,  which  are  in  reality  leaves  or  leaf 
bases,  as  in  the  onion. 

A  Simple  Stem  is  one  which  does  not  branch. 

A  Stemless  plant  is  one  which  bears  no  obvious  stem,  but 
only  leaves  and  flower-stalks,  as  in  the  Common  Blue  Violet  and 
Liver-leaf  (PI.  CXXVI.). 

A  Scape  is  the  leafless  flower-stalk  of  a  stemless  plant.  (See 
Liver-leaf,  PI.  CXXVI.) 

xxvni 


EXPLANATION  OF   TERMS 


An  Entire  Leaf  is  one  the  edge  of  which  is  not  cut  or  lobed 
in  any  way.  (See  Rhododendron,  PI.  XXII.,  and  Closed  Gen- 
tian, PI.  CLI.) 

A  Simple  Leaf  is  one  which  is  not  divided  into  leaflets ;  its 
edges  may  be  either  lobed  or  entire.  (See  Rhododendron,  PL 
XXII.  ;  also  Fig.  i.) 

.A 


Fig.  1. 


Fig.  2. 


Fig.  3. 


A  Compound  Leaf  is  one  which  is  divided  into  leaflets,  as 
in  Wild  Rose,  Pink  Clover,  and  Travellers'  Joy  (PI.  XL.  ;  also 
Fig.  2). 

A  Much-divided  Leaf  is  one  which  is  several  times  divided 
into  leaflets  (Fig.  3). 

The  Axil  of  a,  leaf  is  the  upper  angle  formed  by  a  leaf  or 
leaf-stalk  and  the  stem. 

Flowers  which  grow  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  are  said  to 
be  Axillary. 

When  leaves  or  flowers  are  arranged  in  a  circle  around  the 
stem  they  are  said  to  be  Whorled,  or  to  form  a  Whorl.  (See  Ind- 
ian Cucumber-root,  PL  LX;  Four-leaved  Loosestrife,  PL  LXVII.) 

A  cluster  in  which  the  flowers  are  arranged — each  on  its  own 
stalk — along  the  sides  of  a  common  stem  or  stalk  is  called  a 
Raceme.  (See  Cardinal-flower,  PL  CXXV.  ;  Shin-leaf,  PL 
XXVI.) 

A  Corymb  is  the  same  as  a  raceme,  except  that  it  is  flat 
and  broad,  a  raceme  becoming  a  Corymb  if  the  stalks  of  its 

xxix 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

lower  flowers  are  lengthened  while  those  of  the  upper  remain 
shorter. 

A  cluster  in  which  the  flower-stalks  all  spring  from  apparently 
the  same  point,  as  in  the  Milkweeds,  somewhat  suggesting  the 
spreading  ribs  of  an  umbrella,  is  called  an  Umbel  (PI.  CXXIII.). 

A  cluster  which  is  formed  of  a  number  of  small  umbels,  all  of 
the  stalks  of  which  start  from  apparently  the  same  point,  is  called 
a  Compound  Umbel. 

A  close,  circular  flower-cluster,  like  that  of  Pink  Clover  or 
Dandelion  is  called  a  Head.  (Sunflower,  PI.  LXXIX.) 

A  flower-cluster  along  the  lengthened  axis  of  which  the 
flowers  are  sessile  or  closely  set  is  called  a  Spike.  (Mullein,  PI. 
LXXIII.) 

A  Spadix  is  a  fleshy  spike  or  head,  with  small  and  often  im- 
perfect flowers,  as  in  the  Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  and  Skunk  Cabbage 
(Pis.  CLV.  and  CLIII. ;  also  Fig.  4). 


Fig.  4.  Fig.  5.  Fig.  6. 

A  Spathe  is  the  peculiar  leaf-like  bract  which  usually  en- 
velops a  spadix.  (See  Jack-in-the-Pulpit  and  Skunk  Cabbage, 
Pis.  CLV.  and  CLIII. ;  also  Fig.  5.) 

A  Bract  is  a  leaf  belonging  to  or  subtending  a  flower-cluster 
or  a  flower.  It  differs  from  the  ordinary  leaves  usually  in  shape 
or  size,  sometimes  in  texture  and  color.  The  flower  of  an  orchid 
is  always  subtended  by  a  bract.  (See  Adder's  Mouth,  PI. 
XCVII.) 

Involucre  is  the  name  given  to  the  circle  or  spiral  collection 
of  bracts  around  a  flower-cluster.  (See  Wild  Sunflower,  PI. 

XXX 


EXPLANATION  OF   TERMS 

LXXIX.,  where  the  involucre  surrounds  what  is  probably  con- 
sidered a  single  flower,  but  what  is  actually  a  cluster  of  ray-  and 
disk-flowers ;  also  bunch-berry,  PI.  XVIII. ;  where  the  involucre 
consists  of  the  four  showy  white  leaves  which  are  usually  supposed 
to  be  petals,  while  the  greenish  centre  is  actually  a  cluster  of  in- 
conspicuous flowers.) 

A  leaf  or  flower  which  is  set  so  close  in  the  stem  as  to  show 
no  sign  of  a  separate  leaf  or  flower -stalk,  is  said  to  be  Sessile. 

A  Complete  Flower  (Fig.  6)  is  "  that  part  of  a  plant  which 
subserves  the  purpose  of  producing  seed,  consisting  of  stamens 
and  pistils,  which  are  the  essential  organs,  and  the  calyx  and 
corolla,  which  are  the  protecting  organs."  (Gray.) 

The  green  outer  flower-cup,  or  outer  set  of  green  leaves, 
which  we  notice  at  the  base  of  many  flowers,  is  the  Calyx  (Fig. 
6  Ca).  At  times  this  part  is  brightly  colored  and  may  be  thp 
most  conspicuous  feature  of  the  flower. 

When  the  calyx  is  divided  into  separate  leaves,  these  leaves 
are  called  Sepals. 

The  inner  flower-cup  or  the  inner  set  of  leaves  is  the  Corolla 
(Fig.  6,  C). 

When  the  corolla  is  divided  into  separate  leaves,  these  leaves 
are  called  Petals. 

We  can  look  upon  calyx  and  corolla  as  the  natural  tapestry 
which  protects  th«  delicate  organs  of  the  flower,  and  serves  as 
well,  in  many  cases,  to  attract  the  attention  of  passing  insects. 
In  some  flowers  only  one  of  these  two  parts  is  present ;  in  such  a 
case  the  single  cup  or  set  of  floral  leaves  is  generally  considered  to 
be  the  calyx. 

The  floral  leaves  may  be  spoken  of  collectively  as  the  Peri- 
anth. This  word  is  used  especially  in  describing  members  of 
families  where  there  might  be  difficulty  in  deciding  as  to  whether 
the  single  set  of  floral  leaves  present  should  be  considered  calyx 
or  corolla  (see  Lilies,  Pis.  LXX.  and  CXXI.)  ;  or  where  the 
petals  and  sepals  can  only  be  distinguished  with  difficulty,  as 
with  the  Orchids. 

The  Stamens  (Fig.  7)  are  the  fertilizing  organs  of  the  flower. 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

A  stamen  usually  consists  of  two  parts,  its  Filament  (F),  or  stalk, 
and  its  Anther  (A),  the  little  sac  at  the  tip  of  the  filament  which 
produces  the  dust-like,  fertilizing  substance  called  Pollen  (p). 

The  Pistil  (Fig.  8)  is  the  seed-bearing  organ  of  the  flower. 
When  complete  it  consists  of  Ovary  (O),  Style  (Sty),  and 
Stigma  (Stg). 

The  Ovary  is  the  hollow  portion  at  the  base  of  the  pistil.  It 
contains  the  ovules  or  rudimentary  seeds  which  are  quickened 
into  life  by  the  pollen. 

The  Style  is  the  slender  tapering  stalk  above  the  ovary. 

The  Stigma  is  usually  the  tip  of  the  style.  The  pollen -grains 
which  are  deposited  upon  its  moist  roughened  surface  throw  out 


..-A 


Fig  7. 

minute  tubes  which  penetrate  to  the  little  ovules  of  the  ovary 
and  cause  them  to  ripen  into  seeds. 

A  flower  which  has  neither  stamens  nor  pistils  is  described 
as  Neutral. 

A  flower  with  only  one  kind  of  these  organs  is  termed  Uni- 
sexual. 

A  Male  or  Staminate  flower  is  one  with  stamens  but  without 
pistils. 

A  Female  or  Pistillate  flower  is  one  with  pistils  but  without 
stamens. 

The  Fruit  of  a  plant  is  the  ripened  seed-vessel  or  seed-vessels, 
including  the  parts  which  are  intimately  connected  with  it  or 
them. 


NOTABLE  PLANT  FAMILIES 


ALTHOUGH  the  great  majority  of  plant  families  can  only  be 
distinguished  by  a  combination  of  characteristics  which  are  too 
obscure  to  obtain  any  general  recognition,  there  are  some  few 
instances  where  these  family  traits  are  sufficiently  conspicuous  to 
be  of  great  assistance  in  the  ready  identification  of  flowers. 

If,  for  instance,  we  recognize  at  sight  a  papilionaceous  blos- 
som and  know  that  such  an  one  only  occurs  in  the  Pulse  family, 
we  save  the  time  and  energy  which  might  otherwise  have  been 
expended  on  the  comparison  of  a  newly  found  blossom  of  this 
character  with  the  descriptions  of  flowers  of  a  different  lineage. 
Consequently  it  has  seemed  wise  briefly  to  describe  the  marked 
features  of  such  important  families  as  generally  admit  of  easy 
identification. 

Composite  Family. — It  is  fortunate  for  the  amateur  botanist 
that  the  plant  family  which  usually  secures  the  quickest  recog- 
nition should  also  £e  the  largest  in  the  world.  The  members  of 
the  Composite  family  attract  attention  in  every  quarter  of  the 
globe,  and  make  themselves  evident  from  early  spring  till  late 
autumn,  but  more  especially  with  us  during  the  latter  season. 

The  most  notable  characteristic  of  the  Composites  is  the 
crowding  of  a  number  of  small  flowers  into  a  close  cluster  or 
head,  which  head  is  surrounded  by  an  involucre,  and  has  the 
effect  of  a  single  blossom.  Although  this  grouping  of  small 
flowers  in  a  head  is  not  peculiar  to  this  tribe,  the  same  thing 
being  found  in  the  clovers,  the  milkworts,  and  in  various  other 
plants — still  a  little  experience  will  enable  one  to  distinguish  a 
Composite  without  any  analysis  of  the  separate  blossoms  which 
form  the  head. 

xxxni 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

These  heads  vary  greatly  in  size  and  appearance.  At  times 
they  are  large  and  solitary,  as  in  the  dandelion.  Again  they  are 
small  and  clustered,  as  in  the  yarrow. 

In  some  genera  they  are  composed  of  flowers  which  are  all 
similar  in  form  and  color,  as  in  the  dandelion,  where  all  the 
corollas  are  strap-shaped  and  yellow  ;  or,  as  in  the  common 
thistle,  where  they  are  all  tubular-shaped  and  pinkish-purple. 

In  others  they  are  made  up  of  both  kinds  of  flowers,  as  in 
the  daisy,  where  only  the  yellow  central  or  disk -flowers  are 
tubular-shaped,  while  the  white  outer  or  ray-flowers  are  strap- 
shaped.  The  flower-heads  of  the  well-known  asters  and  golden 
rods  are  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers  also;  but  while 
the  ray-flowers  of  the  aster,  like  those  of  the  daisy,  wear  a  dif- 
ferent color  from  the  yellow  disk-flowers,  both  kinds  are  yellow 
in  the  golden  rod. 

If  the  dandelion  or  the  chicory  (PI.  CXLV. )  is  studied  as  an 
example  of  a  head  which  is  composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped 
blossoms;  the  common  thistle  or  the  stick-tight  (PI.  LXXX.) 
as  an  example  of  one  which  is  made  up  of  tubular -shaped  blos- 
soms ;  and  the  daisy  or  the  sun-flower  (PI.  LXXIX.)  as  an  example 
of  one  which  combines  ray  and  disk-flowers — as  the  strap-shaped 
and  tubular  blossoms  are  called  when  both  are  present — there 
need  be  little  difficulty  in  the  after  recognition  of  a  member  of 
this  family.  The  identification  of  a  particular  species  or  even 
genus  will  be  a  less  simple  matter  ;  the  former  being  a  task  which 
has  been  known  to  tax  the  patience  of  even  advanced  botanists 

Mr.  Grant  Allen  believes  that  the  Composites  largely  owe 
their  universal  sway  to  their  "  co-operative  system."  He  says  : 
"  If  we  look  close  into  the  Daisy  we  see  that  its  centre  com- 
prises a  whole  mass  of  little  yellow  bells,  each  of  which  consists 
of  corolla,  stamens,  and  pistil.  The  insect  which  alights  on  the 
head  can  take  his  fill  in  a  leisurely  way,  without  moving  from 
his  standing-place  ;  and  meanwhile  he  is  proving  a  good  ally  of 
the  plant  by  fertilizing  one  after  another  of  its  numerous  ovaries. 
Each  tiny  bell  by  itself  would  prove  too  inconspicuous  to  attract 
much  attention  from  the  passing  bee ;  but  union  is  strength  for 


NOTABLE  PLANT  FAMILIES 

the  Daisy  as  for  the  State,  and  the  little  composites  have  found 
their  co-operative  system  answer  so  well,  that  late  as  was  their 
appearance  upon  the  earth  they  are  generally  considered  at  the 
present  day  to  be  the  most  numerous  family  both  in  species  and 
individuals  of  all  flowering  plants."  While  those  of  us  who 
know  the  country  lanes  at  that  season  when 

"  — ranks  of  seeds  their  witness  bear," 

feel  that  much  of  their  omnipresence  is  due  to  their  unsur- 
passed facilities  for  globe- trotting.  Our  roadsides  every  autumn 
are  lined  with  tall  golden -rods,  whose  brown  velvety  clusters 
are  compossed  of  masses  of  tiny  seeds  whose  downy  sails  are  set 
for  their  aerial  voyage ;  with  asters,  whose  myriad  flower-headf 
are  traasformed  into  little  puff-balls  which  are  awaiting  disso- 
lution by  the  November  winds,  and  with  others  of  the  tribe 
whose  hooked  seeds  win  a  less  ethereal  but  equally  effective 
transportation. 

Parsley  Family. — The  most  familiar  representative  of  the 
Parsley  family  is  the  wild  carrot  (p.po),  which  so  profusely  decks 
the  highways  throughout  the  summer  with  its  white,  lace-like 
clusters ;  while  the  meadow  parsnip  is  perhaps  the  best  known  of 
its  yellow  members  (p.  133). 

This  family  can  usually  be  recognized  by  the  arrangement 
of  its  minute  flowers  in  umbels,  which  umbels  are  again  so 
clustered  as  to  form  a  compound  umbel  whose  radiating  stalks 
suggest  the  ribs  of  an  umbrella,  and  give  this  Order  its  Latin 
name  of  Umbellifcra. 

A  close  examination  of  the  tiny  flowers  which  compose  these 
umbrella-like  clusters  discovers  that  each  one  has  five  white 
or  yellow  petals,  five  stamens,  and  a  two-styled  pistil.  Some- 
times the  calyx  shows  five  minute  teeth.  The  leaves  are  usually 
divided  into  leaflets  or  segments  which  are  often  much  toothed 
or  incised. 

The  Parsleys  are  largely  distinguished  from  one  another  by 
differences  in  their  fruit,  which  can  only  be  detected  with  the 
aid  of  a  microscope.  It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  more  coin* 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

mon  and  noticeable  species  will  be  recognized  by  means  o* 
descriptions  which  give  their  general  appearance,  season  of 
blooming,  and  favorite  haunts. 

Pulse  Family. — The  Pulse  family  includes  many  of  our  com- 
mon wood  and  field  flowers.  The  majority  of  its  members  are 
easily  distinguished  by  those  irregular,  butterfly-shaped  blos- 
soms which  are  described  as  papilionaceous.  The  sweet  pea  is 
a  familiar  example  of  such  a  flower,  and  a  study  of  its  curious 
structure  renders  easy  the  after-identification  of  a  papilionaceous 
blossom,  even  if  it  be  as  small  as  one  of  the  many  which  make 
up  the  head  of  the  common  pink  clover. 

The  calyx  of  such  a  flower  is  of  five  more  or  less — and  some- 
times unequally — united  sepals.  The  corolla  consists  of  five 
irregular  petals,  the  upper  one  of  which  is  generally  wrapped 
about  the  others  in  bud,  while  it  spreads  or  turns  backward  in 
flower.  This  petal  is  called  the  standard.  The  two  side  petals 
are  called  wings.  The  two  lower  ones  are  usually  somewhat 
united  and  form  a  sort  of  pouch  which  encloses  the  stamens  and 
style ;  this  is  called  the  keel,  from  a  fancied  likeness  to  the 
prow  of  an  ancient  vessel.  There  are  usually  ten  stamens  and 
one  pistil. 

These  flowers  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  cross-fertilization 
through  insect  agency,  although  one  might  imagine  the  con- 
trary to  be  the  case  from  the  relative  positions  of  stamens  and 
pistil.  In  the  pea-blossom,  for  example,  the  hairy  portion  of 
the  style  receives  the  pollen  from  the  early  maturing  stamens. 
The  weight  of  a  visiting  bee  projects  the  stigma  and  the  pollen  - 
laden  style  against  the  insect's  body.  But  it  must  be  observed 
that  in  this  action  the  stigma  first  brushes  against  the  dee,  while 
the  pollen-laden  style  touches  him  later,  with  the  result  that  the 
bee  soon  flies  to  another  flower  on  whose  fresh  stigma  the  de- 
tached pollen  is  left,  while  a  new  cargo  of  this  valuable  material 
is  unconsciously  secured,  and  the  same  process  is  indefinitely  re- 
peated. 

Mint  Family. — A  member  of  the  Mint  family  usually  exhales 
an  aromatic  fragrance  which  aids  us  to  place  it  correctly.  If  to 


NOTABLE  PLANT  FAMILIES 

this  characteristic  is  added  a  square  stem,  opposite  leaves,  a  two- 
lipped  corolla,  four  stamens  in  pairs — two  being  longer  than  the 
others — or  two  stamens  only,  and  a  pistil  whose  style  (two- 
lobed  at  the  apex)  rises  from  a  deeply  four-lobed  ovary  which 
splits  apart  in  fruit  into  four  little  seed-like  nutlets,  we  may  feel 
sure  that  one  of  the  many  Mints  is  before  us. 

Sometimes  we  think  we  have  encountered  one  of  the  family 
because  we  find  the  opposite  leaves,  two-lipped  corolla,  four 
stamens,  and  an  ovary  that  splits  into  four  nutlets  in  fruit ;  but 
unless  the  ovary  was  also  deeply  four-lobed  in  the  flower,  the 
plant  is  probably  a  Vervain,  a  tribe  which  greatly  resembles  the 
Mints.  The  Figworts,  too,  might  be  confused  with  the  Mints 
did  we  not  always  keep  in  mind  the  four-lobed  ovary. 

In  this  family  we  find  the  common  catnip  and  pennyroyal, 
the  pretty  ground  ivy,  and  the  handsome  Oswego  tea  (p.  264). 

Mustard  Family. — The  Mustard  family  is  one  which  is 
abundantly  represented  in  waste  places  everywhere  by  the  little 
shepherd's  purse  or  pickpocket,  and  along  the  roadsides  by  the 
yellow  mustard,  and  wild  radish.  (See  Crinkle-root,  PL  V.) 

Its  members  may  be  recognized  by  their  alternate  leaves, 
their  biting,  harmless  juice,  and  by  their  white,  yellow,  or  pur- 
plish flowers,  the  structure  of  which  at  once  betrays  the  family  to 
which  they  belong. 

The  calyx  of  these  flowers  is  divided  into  four  sepals.  The 
four  petals  are  placed  opposite  each  other  in  pairs,  their  spread- 
ing blades  forming  a  cross  which  gives  the  Order  its  Latin  name 
CrucifercB.  There  are  usually  six  stamens,  two  of  which  are  in- 
serted lower  down  than  the  others.  The  single  pistil  becomes 
in  fruit  a  pod.  Many  of  the  Mustards  are  difficult  of  identifica- 
tion Without  a  careful  examination  of  their  pods  and  seeds. 

Orchis  Family. — To  the  minds  of  many  the  term  orchid  only 
suggests  a  tropical  air-plant,  which  is  rendered  conspicuous  either 
by  its  beauty  or  by  its  unusual  and  noticeable  structure. 

This  impression  is,  perhaps,  partly  due  to  the  rude  print  m 
some  old  text-book  which  endeared  itself  to  our  childish  minds 
by  those  startling  and  extravagant  illustrations  which  are  re- 

zxxvii 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE    WILD  FLOWERS 

sponsible  for  so  many  shattered  illusions  in  later  life  ;  and  partly 
to  the  various  exhibitions  of  flowers  in  which  only  the  exotic 
members  of  this  family  are  displayed. 

Consequently,  when  the  dull  clusters  of  the  ragged  fringed 
orchids,  or  the  muddy  racemes  of  the  coral-root,  or  even  the 
slender,  graceful  spires  of  the  ladies'  tresses  are  brought  from 
the  woods  or  roadside  and  exhibited  as  one  of  so  celebrated  a 
tribe,  they  are  usually  viewed  with  scornful  incredulity,  or,  if 
the  authority  of  the  exhibitor  be  sufficient  to  conquer  disbelief, 
with  unqualified  disappointment.  The  marvellous  mechanism 
which  is  exhibited  by  the  humblest  member  of  the  Orchis  family, 
and  which  suffices  to  secure  the  patient  scrutiny  and  wondering 
admiration  of  the  scientist,  conveys  to  the  uninitated  as  little  of 
interest  or  beauty  as  would  a  page  of  Homer  in  the  original  to 
one  without  scholarly  attainments. 

The  uprooting  of  a  popular  theory  must  be  the  work  of  years, 
especially  when  it  is  impossible  to  offer  as  a  substitute  one 
which  is  equally  capable  of  being  tersely  defined  and  readily  ap. 
prehended ;  for  many  seem  to  hold  it  a  righteous  principle  to 
cherish  even  a  delusion  till  it  be  replaced  by  a  belief  which  af- 
fords an  equal  amount  of  satisfaction.  It  is  simpler  to  describe 
an  orchid  as  a  tropical  air-plant  which  apes  the  appearance  of 
an  insect  and  never  roots  in  the  ground  than  it  is  to  master  by 
patient  study  and  observation  the  various  characteristics  which 
so  combine  in  such  a  plant  as  to  make  it  finally  recognizable  and 
describable.  Unfortunately,  too,  the  enumeration  of  these  un- 
sensational  details  does  not  appeal  to  the  popular  mind,  and  so 
fails  to  win  by  its  accuracy  the  place  already  occupied  by  the  in- 
correct but  pleasing  conception  of  an  orchid. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  wish  to  be  able  correctly  to  place 
these  curious  and  interesting  flowers,  as  brief  a  description  as 
seems  compatible  with  their  recognition  is  appended. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  parallel-nerved. 

Flowers. — Irregular  in  form,  solitary  or  clustered,  each  one 
subtended  by  a  bract. 

Perianth. — Of  six  divisions  in  two  sets.     The  three  outer 

xxxvitt 


NOTABLE  PLANT  FAMILIES 

divisions  are  sepals,  but  they  are  usually  petal-like  in  appearance. 
The  three  inner  are  petals.  By  a  twist  of  the  ovary  what  would 
otherwise  be  the  upper  petal  is  made  the  lower.  This  division  is 
termed  the  lip ;  it  is  frequently  brightly  colored  or  grotesquely 
shaped,  being  at  times  deeply  fringed  or  furrowed ;  it  has  often 
a  spur-like  appendage  which  secretes  nectar  ;  it  is  an  important 
feature  of  the  flower  and  is  apparently  designed  to  attract  insects 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  their  aid  in  the  cross-fertilization 
which  is  usually  necessary  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  different 
species  of  this  family,  all  of  which  give  evidence  of  great  modi- 
fication by  means  of  insect-selection. 

In  the  heart  of  the  flower  is  the  column  ;  this  is  usually  com- 
posed of  the  stamen  (of  two  in  the  Cypripediums),  which  is  con- 
fluent with  the  style  or  thick,  fleshy  stigma.  The  two  cells  of 
the  anther  are  placed  on  either  side  of  and  somewhat  above  the 
stigma ;  these  cells  hold  the  two  pollen  masses. 

Darwin  tells  us  that  the  flower  of  an  orchid  originally  con- 
sisted of  fifteen  different  parts,  three  petals,  three  sepals,  six 
stamens,  and  three  pistils.  He  shows  traces  of  all  these  parts  ir 
the  modern  orchid. 


FLOWER    DESCRIPTIONS 


4  fresh  footpath,  a  fresh  flower ;  afresh  delight " 

RICHARD  JEFFERIKS 


1 

WHITE 

[White  or  occasionally  White  Flowers  not  described  in  White 

Section.] 

Liverwort.     Hepatica  triloba.     April  and  May. 

(Blue  and  Purple  Section,  p.  270.) 

Trailing  Arbutus.     Epigcea  repens.     April  and  May. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  195.) 

White  Adder's  Tongue.     Erythronium  albidum.     April  and  May. 

,  (Yellow  Section,  p.  126.) 

Bluets.     Houstonia  carulea.     May  and  June. 

(Blue  and  Purple  Section,  p.  274.) 

Beard-Tongue.     Pentstemon  pubescens  and  Pentstemon  digitalis.     June. 

(Blue  and  Purple  Section,  p.  290.) 

Wild  Morning  Glory.     Convolvulus  Americanus.     Summer. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  223.) 

Moth  Mullein.      Verbascum  Blattaria.     Later  Summer. 

(Yellow  Section,  p.  170.) 

Bouncing  Bet.     Saponaria  officinalis.     Later  Summer. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  248.) 


.  _  Occasional  white  varieties  of  other  flowers  maybe  found. 
fn  this  section  also  are  placed  flowers  so  pale  as  to  give  a  white  effect. 


i 


0 
WHITE 

BLOOD-ROOT. 

Sanguinaria  Canadensis,     Poppy  Family. 

Rootstock, — Thick  ;  charged  with  a  crimson  juice.  Scape. — -Naked  ;  one- 
flowered.  Leaves. — Rounded  ;  deeply  lobed.  Flower. — White  ;  terminal. 
Calyx. — Of  two  sepals  falling  early.  Corolla. — Of  eight  to  twelve  snow- 
white  petals.  Stamens. — About  twenty-four.  Pistil. — One;  short. 

In  early  April  the  curled-up  leaf  of  the  blood-root,  wrapped  in 
its  papery  bracts,  pushes  its  firm  tip  through  the  earth  and  brown 
leaves,  bearing  within  its  carefully  shielded  burden,  the  young 
erect  flower-bud.  When  the  perils  of  the  way  are  passed  and  a 
safe  height  is  reached,  this  pale,  deeply  lobed  leaf  resigns  its 
precious  charge  and  gradually  unfolds  itself;  meanwhile  the  bud 
slowly  swells  into  a  blossom. 

Surely  no  flower  of  the  year  can  vie  with  this  in  spotless 
beauty.  Its  very  transitoriness  enhances  its  charm.  The  snowy 
petals  fall  from  about  their  golden  centre  before  one  has  had 
time  to  grow  satiated  with  their  perfection.  Unless  the  rocky 
hillsides  and  wood-borders  are  jealously  watched  it  may  escape 
us  altogether.  One  or  two  warm  sunny  days  will  hasten  it  to 
maturity,  and  a  few  more  hours  of  wind  and  storm  shatter  its 
loveliness. 

Care  should  be  taken  in  picking  the  flower — if  it  must  be 
picked — as  the  red  liquid  which  oozes  blood-like  from  the 
wounded  stem  makes  a  lasting  stain.  This  crimson  juice  was 
prized  by  the  Indians  as  a  decoration  for  their  faces  and  toma- 
hawks. 


PLATE  I 


B LOO D- ROOT .—  Sanguinaria  Canadensis. 


WHITE 


SHAD-BUSH.  JUNE-BERRY.  SERVICE-BERRY. 

Amelanchier  oblongifolia.     Rose  Family. 

A  tall  shrub  or  small  tree  found  in  low  ground.  Leaves. — Oblong ; 
acutely  pointed;  finely  toothed;  mostly  rounded  at  base.  Flowers. — 
White;  growing  in  racemes.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  rather 
long  petals.  Stamens. — Numerous;  short.  Pistils. — With  five  styles. 
Fruit. — Round;  red;  sweet  and  edible  ;  ripening  in  June. 

Down  in  the  boggy  meadow,  in  early  March,  we  can  almost 
fancy  that  from  beneath  the  solemn  purple  cowls  of  the  skunk- 
cabbage  brotherhood  comes  the  joyful  chorus — 

"  For  lo,  the  winter  is  past !  " 

but  we  chilly  mortals  still  find  the  wind  so  frosty  and  the  woods 
so  unpromising  that  we  return  shivering  to  the  fireside,  and  re- 
fuse to  take  up  the  glad  strain  till  the  feathery  clusters  of  the 
shad-bush  droop  from  the  pasture  thicket.  Then  only  are  we 
ready  to  admit  that 

' '  The  flowers  appear  upon  the  earth, 
The  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is  come. " 

Even  then,  search  the  woods  as  we  may,  we  shall  hardly  find 
thus  early  in  April*  another  shrub  in  blossom,  unless  it  be  the 
spice-bush,  whose  tiny  honey-yellow  flowers  escape  all  but  the 
careful  observer.  The  shad-bush  has  been  thus  named  because 
of  its  flowering  at  the  season  when  shad  "run;  "  June-berry, 
because  the  shrub's  crimson  fruit  surprises  us  by  gleaming  from 
the  copses  at  the  very  beginning  of  summer ;  service-berry,  be- 
cause of  the  use  made  by  the  Indians  of  this  fruit,  which  they 
gathered  in  great  quantities,  and,  after  much  crushing  and 
pounding,  made  into  a  sort  of  cake. 


WHITE 


WOOD  ANEMONE.    WIND-FLOWER. 

Anemone  nemorosa.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Slender.  Leaves. — Divided  into  delicate  leaflets.  Flower. — 
Solitary ;  white,  pink,  or  purplish.  Calyx. — Of  from  four  to  seven  petal- 
like  sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Numerous. 

"  — Within  the  woods, 

Whose  young  and  half  transparent  leaves  scarce  cast 
A  shade,  gay  circles  of  anemones 
Danced  on  their  stalks  ;  " 

writes  Bryant,  bringing  vividly  before  us  the  feathery  foliage  of 
the  spring  woods,  and  the  tremulous  beauty  of  the  slender- 
stemmed  anemones.  Whittier,  too,  tells  how  these 

" — wind-flowers  sway 
Against  the  throbbing  heart  of  May." 

And  in  the  writings  of  the  ancients  as  well  we  could  find  many 
allusions  to  the  same  flower,  were  we  justified  in  believing  that 
the  blossom  christened  the  "wind-shaken,"  by  some  poet 
flower-lover  of  early  Greece,  was  identical  with  our  modern 
anemone. 

Pliny  tells  us  that  the  anemone  of  the  classics  was  so  entitled 
because  it  opened  at  the  wind's  bidding.  The  Greek  tradition 
claims  that  it  sprang  from  the  passionate  tears  shed  by  Venus 
over  the  body  of  the  slain  Adonis.  At  one  time  it  was  believed 
that  the  wind  which  had  passed  over  a  field  of  anemones  was 
poisoned,  and  that  disease  followed  in  its  wake.  Perhaps  be- 
cause of  this  superstition  the  flower  was  adopted  as  the  emblem  of 
illness  by  the  Persians.  Surely  our  delicate  blossom  is  far  re- 
moved from  any  suggestion  of  disease  or  unwholesomeness,  seem- 
ing instead  to  hold  the  very  essence  of  spring  and  purity  in  its 
quivering  cup. 


PLATE  II 


WOOD  ANEMONE.— Anemone  nemorosa.  RUE  ANEMONE.— A nemontlla,  thalictroidts. 

5 


WHITE 


RUE   ANEMONE. 

Anemonella  thalictroides.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  rounded  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — White  or  pinkish ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  five  to  ten  petal- 
like  sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Four  to  fif- 
teen. 

The  rue  anemone  seems  to  linger  especially  about  the  spread- 
ing roots  of  old  trees.  It  blossoms  with  the  wood  anemone, 
from  which  it  differs  in  bearing  its  flowers  in  clusters. 

STAR-FLOWER. 

Trienialis  Americana.     Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth;  erect.  Leaves. — Thin;  pointed;  whorled  at  the  summit 
of  the  stem.  Flowers. — White;  delicate;  star-shaped.  Calyx. — Generally 
seven-parted.  Corolla. — Generally  seven-parted  ;  flat ;  spreading.  Stamens. 
— Four  or  five.  Pistil. — One. 

Finding  this  delicate  flower  in  the  May  woods,  one  is  at  once 
reminded  of  the  anemone.  The  whole  effect  of  plant,  leaf,  and 
snow-white  blossom  is  starry  and  pointed.  The  frosted  tapering 
petals  distinguish  it  from  the  rounded  blossoms  of  the  wild  straw- 
berry, near  which  it  often  grows. 


Maianthemum  Canadense.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  six  inches  high ;  with  two  or  three  leaves.  Leaves. — 
Lance-shaped  to  oval;  heart-shaped  at  base.  Flowers. — White  or  straw- 
color;  growing  in  a  raceme.  Perianth. — Four-parted.  Stamens. — Four. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. — A  red  berry. 

It  seems  unfair  that  this  familiar  and  pretty  little  plant  should 
be  without  any  homely  English  name.*  Its  botanical  title  signi- 
fies "  Canada  Mayflower,"  but  while  undoubtedly  it  grows  in 
Canada  and  flowers  in  May,  the  name  is  not  a  happy  one,  for  it 
abounds  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina,  and  is  not  the  first  blos- 
som to  be  entitled  "  Mayflower." 

In  late  summer  the  red  berries  are  often  found  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  fruit  of  the  shin-leaf  and  pipsissewa. 

*  In  parts  of  the  country  it  is  called  "  Wild  Lily  of  the  Valley." 
6 


PLATE 


STAR   FLOWER. 
—Trientalis  American^ 


Fruit.  Flower. 

Maianthemum  Canadense. 

7 


WHITE 


GOLD  THREAD. 

Coptis  trifolia.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Scape. — Slender;  three  to  five  inches  high.  Leaves. — Evergreen;  shin- 
ing; divided  into  three  leaflets.  Flowers. — White;  solitary.  Calyx. — Of 
five  to  seven  petal-like  sepals  which  fall  early.  Corolla. — Of  five  to  seven 
club-shaped  petals.  Stamens. — Fifteen  to  twenty-five.  Pistils. — Three  to 
seven.  Root. — Of  long,  bright  yellow  fibres. 

This  decorative  little  plant  abundantly  carpets  the  northern 
bogs  and  extends  southward  over  the  mountains.  Its  delicate 
flowers  appear  in  May,  but  its  shining,  evergreen  leaves  are 
noticeable  throughout  the  year.  The  bright  yellow  thread-like 
roots  give  it  its  common  name. 


EARLY    EVERLASTING.      PLANTAIN-LEAVED     EVER- 
LASTING. 

Antennaria  plantaginifolia.     Composite  Family. 

Stems. — Downy  or  woolly,  three  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Leaves. — • 
Silky,  woolly  when  young  ;  those  from  the  root,  oval,  three-nerved  ;  those  on 
the  flowering  stems,  small,  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Crowded;  clus- 
tered ;  small ;  yellowish-white ;  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers. 

In  early  spring  the  hillsides  are  whitened  with  this,  the  earli- 
est of  the  everlastings. 


CHOKEBERRY. 

Pyrus  arbuti folia.      Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  from  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  or  somewhat 
lance-shaped  ;  finely  toothed  ;  downy  beneath.  Flowers. — White  or  pink- 
ish ;  rather  small ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals. 
Stamens — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  to  five  styles.  Fruit. — 
Small,  pear-shaped  or  globular,  dark  red  or  blackish. 

Among  the  earliest  shrubs  of  the  year  to  flower  is  the  choke- 
berry.  Its  white  or  pink  blossoms,  despite  their  smaller  size, 
indicate  a  close  kinship  to  those  of  the  apple-tree.  They  are 
found  during  the  spring  months  in  swamps  and  thickets,  and 


PLATE  IV 


PYX\E.—Pyxidanlltera  barbulala. 


WHITE 

also  on  the  mountain  sides  all  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  as  well  as 
farther  inland.  The  red  or  blackish  fruit  suggests  superficially  a 
huckleberry. 

PYXIE.     FLOWERING-MOSS. 

[PI.  IV 

Pyxidanthera  barbulala-     Order  Diapensiacea. 

Stems, — Prostrate  and  creeping;  branching.  Leaves. — Narrowly  lance- 
shaped  ;  awl -pointed.  Flowers. — White  or  pink;  small ;  numerous.  Calyx. 
— Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

In  early  spring  we  may  look  for  the  dainty  white  flowers  of 
this  delicate  moss-like  plant  in  the  sandy  pine-woods  of  New 
Jersey  and  southward.  At  Lakewood  they  appear  even  before 
those  of  the  trailing  arbutus  which  grows  in  the  same  localities. 
The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify  a 
small  box  and  anther,  and  refers  to  the  anthers,  which  open  as  if 
by  a  lid. 

CRINKLE-ROOT.    TOOTHWORT.     PEPPER-ROOT. 

[PI.  V 

Dentaria  diphylla.      Mustard  Family. 

Rootstock. —  Five  to  ten  inches  long;  wrinkled;  crisp;  of  a  pleasant,  pun- 
gent taste.  Stem. — Leafless  below  :  bearing  two  leaves  above.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  three  toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — White;  in  a  terminal  cluster. 
Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — 
Six  ;  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil. — One.  Pod. — Flat  and  lance - 
shaped. 

The  crinkle-root  has  been  valued,  not  so  much  on  account 
of  its  pretty  flowers  which  may  be  found  in  the  rich  May  woods, 
but  for  its  crisp,  edible  root,  which  has  lent  savor  to  many  a 
simple  luncheon  in  the  cool  shadows  of  the  forest. 

TOOTHWORT, 

Dentaria  laciniata.     Mustard  Family. 

Rootstock. — Tuberous  ;  sometimes  more  or  less  bead-like.  Stem-leaves. — 
Deeply  parted  ;  the  divisions  gash-toothed.  Flowers.—  White  or  pink;  in 
a  terminal  cluster ;  otherwise  as  in  above,  but  usually  appearing  somewhat 
earlier  in  the  spring. 


WHITE 


SPRING-CRESS. 

Cardamine  rhomboidea.      Mustard  Family. 

Rootstock. — Slender;  bearing  small  tubers.  Stem. — From  a  tuberous 
base;  upright;  slender.  Root-leaves.  —  Round  and  often  heart-shaped. 
Stem-leaves. — The  lower  rounded,  the  upper  almost  lance-shaped.  Flowers. 
— White;  large;  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling  sepals.  Corolla. — 
Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Six;  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil. — 
One.  Pod. — Flat ;  lance-shaped  ;  pointed  with  a  slender  style  tipped  with 
a  conspicuous  stigma ;  smaller  than  that  of  the  crinkle-root. 

The  spring-cress  grows  abundantly  in  the  wet  meadows  and 
about  the  borders  of  springs.  Its  large  white  flowers  appear  as 
early  as  April,  lasting  until  June. 


WHITLOW-GRASS. 

Draba  verna.      Mustard  Family. 

Scapes. — One  to  three  inches  high.  Leaves. — All  from  the  root;  oblong 
er  lance- shaped.  Flowers. — White ;  with  two-cleft  petals ;  clustered. 
Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. 
— Six;  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil. — One.  Pod. — Flat;  varying 
from  oval  to  oblong-lance-shaped. 

This  little  plant  may  be  found  flowering  along  the  roadsides 
and  in  sandy  places  during  April  and  May.  It  has  come  to  us 
from  Europe. 

WATER-CRESS. 

Nasturtium  ojficinale.     Mustard  Family. 

Leaves. — Divided  into  roundish  segments.  Flowers. — White,  clustered. 
Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals,  twice  the 
length  of  the  sepals.  Stamens. — Six  ;  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil. 
— One.  Pod.  —  Linear. 

Although  the  water-cress  is  not  a  native  of  North  America  it  has 
made  itself  so  entirely  at  home  in  many  of  our  streams  that  we 
hardly  look  upon  it  as  a  stranger.  Whoever,  after  a  long  ramble 
through  the  woods  on  a  summer  morning,  has  plucked  its  fresh, 
pungent  leaves  from  some  sparkling  stream  and  added  them  to  his 
frugal  sandwich,  looks  upon  the  little  plant  with  a  sense  of  famil- 
iar gratitude,  which  we  rarely  feel  toward  an  alien. 

10 


PLATE   V 


CRINKLE-ROOT.— Dentaria  diphylla. 
IX 


WHITE 


The  name  nasturtium,  signifying  twisted  nose,  is  said  to  be 
given  to  this  genus  on  account  of  the  effect  supposedly  produced 
on  the  nose  by  eating  the  acrid  leaves. 


SHEPHERD'S    PURSE. 

Capsella  Bursa-pastoris.      Mustard  Family. 

Stem. — Low;  branching.  Root-leaves. — Clustered;  incised  or  toothed 
Stem-leaves. — Arrow-shaped;  set  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers. — White-, 
clustered.  Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals. 
Stamens. — Six;  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil. — One.  Pod. — Tri- 
angular, heart-shaped. 

This  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  our  wayside  weeds,  working 
its  way  everywhere  with  such  persistency  and  appropriating 
other  people's  property  so  shamelessly,  that  it  has  won  for  itself 
the  nickname  of  pickpocket.  Its  popular  title  arose  from  the 
shape  of  its  little  seed-pods. 

ROCK  CRESS. 

Arabis  hirsuta.     Mustard  Family. 

Erect;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Stem-leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped; 
sometimes  toothed ;  partly  clasping  by  a  somewhat  heart-shaped  base. 
Flowers.  — Small ;  greenish  white  ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Six;  two  shorter  than  the 
others.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  long,  narrow,  flattened  pod. 

During  May  and  June  in  rocky  places,  especially  northward, 
we  find  this  flower  in  abundance. 


SMALL  BITTER  CRESS. 

Cardamine  hirsuta.     Mustard  Family. 

Stem.—  Three  inches  to  two  feet  high  ;  springing  from  a  spreading  clus- 
ter of  root-leaves.  Leaves. — Pinnate.  Flowers. — Small;  white  ;  clustered. 
Calyx. — Of  four  early-falling  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. 
— Six,  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil. — One.  Pod. — Linear.  Very 
narrow  ;  erect  or  ascending. 

The  small  bitter  cress  is  a  plant  found  in  flower  from  May  to 
July.  Its  spreading  cluster  of  pinnately  divided  root-leaves  is 
specially  noticeable  near  the  rocky  banks  of  streams. 

12 


PLATE  VI 


Fruit. 


MAY-APPLE.— Podopkyllum  peltatum. 
13 


WHITE 


MAY  APPLE.    MANDRAKE. 

[PI.  VI 

Podophyllum  peltatum.     Barberry  Family. 

Flowering-stem. — Two-leaved  ;  one-flowered.  Flowerless-stetns. — Ter- 
minated by  one  large,  rounded,  much-lobed  leaf.  Leaves  (of  flowering- 
stems). — One-sided;  five  to  nine-lobed,  the  lobes  oblong;  the  leaf-stalks 
fastened  to  their  lower  side  near  the  inner  edge.  Flower. — White  ;  large  ; 
nodding  from  the  fork  made  by  the  two  leaves.  Calyx. — Of  six  early-falling 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  six  to  nine  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Twice  as  many 
as  the  petals.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  large,  thick  stigma  set  close  to  the 
ovary.  Fruit. — A  large,  fleshy,  egg-shaped  berry ;  sweet  and  edible. 

"  The  umbrellas  are  out !  "  cry  the  children,  when  the  great 
green  leaves  of  the  May-apple  first  unfold  themselves  in  spring. 
These  curious-looking  leaves  at  once  betray  the  hiding-place  of 
the  pretty,  but,  at  times,  unpleasantly  odoriferous  flower  which 
nods  beneath  them.  They  lie  thickly  along  the  woods  and 
meadows  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  arresting  one's  attention 
by  the  railways.  The  fruit,  which  ripens  in  July,  has  been  given 
the  name  of  "  wild  lemon,"  in  some  places  on  account  of  its 
shape.  It  was  valued  by  the  Indians  for  medicinal  purposes, 
and  its  mawkish  flavor  still  seems  to  find  favor  with  the  children, 
notwithstanding  its  frequently  unpleasant  after-affects.  The 
leaves  and  roots  are  poisonous  if  taken  internally,  and  are  said 
to  have  been  used  as  a  pot  herb,  with  fatal  results.  They  yield 
an  extract  which  has  been  utilized  in  medicine. 


HARBINGER-OF-SPRING.     PEPPER  AND  SALT 

Erigenia  bulbosa. 

Stem. — Three  to  nine  inches  high  ;  from  a  deep  round  tuber.  Leaves. — 
One  or  two ;  divided  into  linear-oblong  leaf -segments.  Flowers. — White  ; 
small ;  few  ;  in  a  leafy-bracted  compound  umbel. 

The  pretty  little  harbinger-of-spring  should  be  easily  identified 
by  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  find  it,  for  it  is  one  of  the 
smallest  members  of  the  Parsley  family.  It  is  only  common  in 
certain  localities,  being  found  in  abundance  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Washington,  where  its  flowers  appear  as  early  as  March. 

14 


EARLY 


Virginunsk. 


WHITE 


DUTCHMAN'S  BREECHES.    WHITE-HEARTS. 

Dicentra  Cucullaria.     Fumitory  Family. 

Scape. — Slender.  Leaves. — Thrice-compound.  Flowers. — White  and 
yellow;  growing  in  a  raceme.  Calyx. — Of  two  small,  scale-like  sepals. 
Corolla. — Closed  and  flattened  ;  of  four  somewhat  cohering  white  petals 
tipped  with  yellow  ;  the  two  outer — large,  with  spreading  tips  and  deep 
spurs  ;  the  two  inner — small,  with  spoon-shaped  tips  uniting  over  the  anthers 
and  stigma.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

There  is  something  singularly  fragile  and  spring-like  in  the 
appearance  of  this  plant  as  its  heart-shaped  blossoms  nod  from 
the  rocky  ledges  where  they  thrive  best.  One  would  suppose 
that  the  firmly  closed  petals  guarded  against  any  intrusion  on 
the  part  of  insect  visitors  and  indicated  the  flower's  capacity  for 
self-fertilization  ;  but  it  is  found  that  when  insects  are  excluded 
by  means  of  gauze  no  seeds  are  set,  which  goes  to  prove  that 
the  pollen  from  another  flower  is  a  necessary  factor  in  the  con- 
tinuance of  this  species.  The  generic  name,  Dicentra,  is  from 
the  Greek  and  signifies  two-spurred.  The  flower,  when  seen, 
explains  its  two  English  titles.  It  is  accessible  to  every  New 
Yorker,  for  in  early  April  it  whitens  many  of  the  shaded  ledges 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  Central  Park. 

SQUIRREL  CORN. 

Dicentra  Canadensis.     Fumitory  Family. 

The  squirrel  corn  closely  resembles  the  Dutchman's  breeches. 
Its  greenish  or  pinkish  flowers  are  heart-shaped,  with  short, 
rounded  spurs.  They  have  the  fragrance  of  hyacinths,  and  are 
found  blossoming  in  early  spring  in  the  rich  woods  of  the  North. 

EARLY  SAXIFRAGE. 

[PI.  VII 
Saxifraga  Virginiensis .      Saxifrage  Family. 

Scape. — Four  to  nine  inches  high.  Leaves — Clustered  at  the  root ;  some- 
what wedge-shaped  ;  narrowed  into  a  broad  leaf-stalk.  Flowers. — White  ; 
small ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. 
— Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

In  April  we  notice  that  the  seams  in  the  rocky  cliffs  and  hill- 
sides begin  to  whiten  with  the  blossoms  of  the  early  saxifrage. 

16 


PLATE   VIII 


MITRE-WORT.-^//* 
17 


WHITE 

Steinbrech — stonebreak — the  Germans  appropriately  entitle  this 
little  plant,  which  bursts  into  bloom  from  the  minute  clefts  in 
the  rocks  and  which  has  been  supposed  to  cause  their  disintegra- 
tion by  its  growth.  The  generic  and  common  names  are  from 
saxum — a  rock,  andfrangere — to  break. 


FOAM-FLOWER.    FALSE  MITRE-WORT. 

Tiarella  cordifolia.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stem. — Five  to  twelve  inches  high  ;  leafless,  or  rarely  with  one  or  two 
leaves.  Leaves. — From  the  rootstock  or  runners  ;  heart-shaped  ;  sharply 
lobed.  Flowers. — White;  in  a  full  raceme.  Calyx. — Bell-shaped;  five- 
parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals  on  claws.  Stamens. — Ten  ;  long  and  slen- 
der. Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

Over  the  hills  and  in  the  rocky  woods  of  April  and  May  the 
graceful  white  racemes  of  the  foam-flower  arrest  our  attention. 
This  is  a  near  relative  of  the  Mitella  or  true  mitre-wort.  Its 
generic  name  is  a  diminutive  from  the  Greek  for  turban,  and  is 
said  to  refer  to  the  shape  of  the  pistil. 


MITRE-WORT.    BISHOP'S  CAP. 

[PI.  VIII 
Mitella  diphylla.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stem. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high  ;  hairy  ;  bearing  two  opposite  leaves. 
Leaves. — Heart-shaped  ;  lobed  and  toothed  ;  those  of  the  stem  opposite  and 
nearly  sessile.  Flowers.  —  White  ;  small;  in  a  slender  raceme.  Calyx. — 
Short ;  five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  slender  petals  which  are  deeply  incised, 
Stamens. — Ten  ;  short.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

The  mitre-wort  resembles  the  foam-flower  in  foliage,  but 
bears  its  delicate,  crystal-like  flowers  in  a  more  slender  raceme. 
It  also  is  found  in  the  rich,  woods,  blossoming  somewhat  later. 


LARGER  WHITE  TRILLIUM. 

Trillium  grandiflorum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem.— Stout  ;  from  a  tuber-like  root  stock.  Leaves. — Ovate  ;  three  in  a 
whorl,  a  short  distance  below  the  flower.  Flower. — Single  ;  terminal ;  large; 
white,  turning  pink  or  marked  with  green.  Calyx. — Of  three  green,  spread- 
ing sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  long  pointed  petals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pis- 

18 


PLATE  IX 


vf'  V 


V 


LARGER  WHITE  TRI  LLI  U  M.— Trillium  grandijiorum. 


til. — One,  with  three  spreading  stigmas.     Fruit. — A  large  ovate,  somewhat 
angled,  dark  purple  berry. 

This  singularly  beautiful  flower  is  found  during  April  and 
May.  Its  great  white  stars  gleam  from  shaded  wood  borders  or 
from  the  banks  of  swift-flowing  streams. 

The  nodding  trillium,  T.  cernuum,  bears  its  smaller  white 
or  pinkish  blossom  in  a  manner  which  suggests  the  may  apple, 
on  a  stalk  so  curved  as  sometimes  quite  to  conceal  the  flower  be- 
neath the  leaves.  This  is  a  fragrant  and  attractive  blossom, 
which  may  be  found  in  the  early  year  in  moist  shaded  places. 

The  painted  trillium,  T.  erythrocarpum,  is  also  less  large  and 
showy  than  the  great  white  trillium,  but  it  is  quite  as  pleasing. 
Its  white  petals  are  painted  at  their  base  with  red  stripes.  This 
species  is  very  plentiful  in  the  Adirondack  and  Catskill  Moun- 
tains. 

TWIN-LEAF.    RHEUMATISM-ROOT. 

Jejfersonia  diphylla.     Barberry  Family. 

A  low  plant.  Leaves. — From  the  root ;  long-stalked  ;  parted  into  two 
rounded  leaflets.  Scape. — One  flowered.  Flower.  —White  ;  one  inch  broad. 
Sepals. — Four,  falling  early.  Petals. — Eight  ;  flat,  oblong.  Stamens. — 
Eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma. 

The  twin-leaf  is  often  found  growing  with  the  blood-root  in 
the  woods  of  April  or  May.  It  abounds  somewhat  west  and 
southward. 

CHOKE-CHERRY. 

Prunus  Virginiana.     Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  two  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oval  br  oblong ;  abruptly 
pointed  ;  sharply  toothed.  Flowers. — White,  in  erect  or  spreading  racemes 
terminating  leafy  branches.  Calyx. — Five  cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  spread- 
ing petals.  Stamens. — Fifteen  to  twenty.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Round, 
red  or  almost  black,  in  drooping  clusters. 

In  April  or  May,  along  the  country  lane  where  the  oriole 
flashes  in  and  out  among  the  blossoms,  and  the  blue-bird  "with 
the  earth  tinge  on  his  breast  and  the  sky  tinge  on  his  back," 

IQ 


WHITE  N 

is  resting  on  the  fence  rail,  singing  his  simple  song  of  joy  in 
the  perfect  season,  the  long  white  flower-clusters  of  the  choke- 
cherry  arrest  our  attention.  In  August,  or  sometimes  late  in 
July,  these  same  lanes  are  decorated  by  drooping  clusters  of  the 
dark  red  acid  fruit,  well  known  to  the  country  children,  who 
perhaps  gave  the  shrub  its  peculiar  name. 


WILD  SARSAPARILLA. 

Aralia  nudicaulis.     Ginseng  Family. 

Stem. — Bearing  a  single  large,  long- stalked,  much-divided  leaf,  and  a 
shorter  naked  scape  which  bears  the  rounded  flower-clusters.  Flowers. — 
Greenish-white;  in  umbels.  Calyx. — With  short  or  obsolete  teeth.  Corolla. 
— Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five.  Fruit. — Blacker  dark-purple;  berry- 
like. 

In  the  June  woods  the  much-divided  leaf  and  rounded  flower- 
clusters  of  the  wild  sarsaparilla  are  frequently  noticed,  as  well  as 
the  dark  berries  of  the  later  year.  The  long  aromatic  roots  of 
this  plant  are  sold  as  a  substitute  for  the  genuine  sarsaparilla. 
The  rice-paper  plant  of  China  is  a  member  of  this  genus. 


GROUND-NUT.     DWARF  GINSENG. 

Aralia  trifolia.     Ginseng  Family. 

Stem. — Four  to  eight  inches  high.  Leaves. — Three  in  a  whorl ;  divided 
into  from  three  to  five  leaflets.  Flowers. — White  ;  in  an  umbel.  Fruit. — 
Yellowish;  berry-like.  Root. — A  globular  tuber. 

The  tiny  white  flowers  of  the  dwarf  ginseng  are  so  closely 
clustered  as  to  make  "  one  feathery  ball  of  bloom,"  to  quote  Mr. 
Hamilton  Gibson.  This  little  plant  resembles  its  larger  relative 
the  true  ginseng.  It  blossoms  in  our  rich  open  woods  early  in 
spring,  and  hides  its  small  round  tuber  so  deep  in  the  earth  that 
it  requires  no  little  care  to  uproot  it  without  breaking  the  slender 
stem.  This  tuber  is  edible  and  pungent  tasting,  giving  the 
plant  its  name  of  ground-nut. 


20 


PLATE  X 


A  flower  cluster. 


SPIKENARD.— A ralia  racemosa. 
21 


WHITE 


GINSENG. 

Aralia  quinque folia.     Ginseng  Family. 

Root- — Large  and  spindle-shaped ;  often  forked.  Stem. — About  one  foot 
high.  Leaves. — Three  in  a  whorl ;  divided  into  leaflets,  flowers. — Green- 
ish-white ;  in  a  simple  umbel.  Fruit. — Bright  red  ;  berry-like. 

This  plant  is  well  known  by  name,  but  is  yearly  becoming 
more  scarce.  The  aromatic  root  is  so  greatly  valued  in  China  for 
its  supposed  power  of  combating  fatigue  and  old  age  that  it  can 
only  be  gathered  by  order  of  the  emperor.  The  forked  specimens 
are  believed  to  be  the  most  powerful,  and  their  fancied  likeness 
to  the  human  form  has  obtained  for  the  plant  the  Chinese  title 
of  Jin-chen  (from  which  ginseng  is  a  corruption),  and  the  Indian 
one  of  Garan-toguen,  both  which,  strangely  enough,  are  said 
to  signify,  like  a  man.  The  Canadian  Jesuits  first  began  to  ship 
the  roots  of  the  American  species  to  China,  where  they  sold  at 
about  five  dollars  a  pound.  At  present  they  are  said  to  com- 
mand about  one-fifth  of  that  price  in  the  home  market. 


SPIKENARD. 

IPI.  x 

Aralia  racemosa.     Ginseng  Family. 

Root. — Large  and  aromatic.  Stem. — Often  tall  and  widely  branched, 
leafy.  Leaves. — Large  ;  divided  into  somewhat  heart-shaped,  toothed,  and 
pointed  leaflets.  Flowers. — Greenish-white;  small;  in  clusters  in  early 
summer.  Fruit. — Dark  purple,  red,  or  black  ;  berry-like. 

The  spikenard  is  conspicuous  chiefly  in  autumn,  when  its 
partially  ripened  clusters  of  glass-like  fruit  are  sure  to  excite,  by 
their  rich  beauty,  the  curiosity  of  the  passer-by. 


BRISTLY  SARSAPARILLA. 

Aralia  hispida.     Ginseng  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high  ;  bristly,  leafy,  terminating  in  a  stalk  bear- 
ing several  umbels  of  small  white  flowers,  leaves. — Divided  into  ovate  OT 
oval  leaflets.  Flowers. — White,  small,  in  roundish  clusters. 

In  June  or  July,  in  open,  somewhat  rocky  or  sandy  piaces, 
the  bristly  sarsaparilla  is  conspicuous  by  reason  of  its  pretty 

22 


WHITE 

rounded  flower  clusters.  Later  in  the  year  its  umbels  of  dark 
blue  or  purple  fruit  are  even  more  noticeable  than  were  the 
blossoms. 

CANADA  VIOLET. 

Viola  Canadensis.     Violet  Family. 

Stem. — Leafy  ;  upright ;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped  ; 
pointed;  toothed.  Flowers. — White,  veined  with  purple,  violet  beneath, 
otherwise  greatly  resembling  the  common  blue  violet. 

We  associate  the  violet  with  the  early  year,  but  I  have  found 
the  delicate  fragrant  flowers  of  this  species  blossoming  high  up 
on  the  Catskill  Mountains  late  into  September ;  and  have  known 
them  to  continue  to  appear  in  a  New  York  city-garden  into  No- 
vember. They  are  among  the  loveliest  of  the  family,  having  a 
certain  sprightly  self-assertion  which  is  peculiarly  charming,  per- 
haps because  so  unexpected. 

The  tiny  sweet  white  violet,  V.  blanda,  with  brown  or  pur- 
ple veins,  which  is  found  in  nearly  all  low,  wet,  woody  places  in 
spring,  is  perhaps  the  only  uniformly  fragrant  member  of  the 
family,  and  its  scent,  though  sweet,  is  faint  and  elusive. 

The  lance-leaved  violet,  V.  lanceolata,  is  another  white 
species  which  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  smooth  lance-shaped 
leaves,  quite  unlike  those  of  the  common  violet.  It  is  found  in 
damp  soil,  especially  eastward. 

CREEPING  SNOWBERRY. 

Chiogenes  serpyllifolia.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  trailing  and  creeping.  Leaves. — Evergreen;  small; 
ovate;  pointed.  Flowers. — Small;  white;  solitary  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx. — Four-parted  ;  with  four  large  bractlets  beneath.  Corolla. 
— Deeply  four-parted.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  pure 
white  berry. 

One  must  look  in  May  for  the  flower  of  this  plant ;  but  it  is 
late  in  the  summer  when  the  beautiful  little  creeper  especialJ) 
challenges  our  admiration.  Studded  with  snow-white  berries,  U 
nearly  covers  some  decaying  lo^  which  has  fallen  into  a  lonely 


WHITE 

Adirondack  stream.  Or  else  it  thickly  carpets  the  peat-bog 
where  we  are  hunting  cranberries,  or  brightens  the  moist  mossy 
woods  which  earlier  in  the  year  were  redolent  with  the  breath 
of  the  twin-flower.  Its  aromatic  flavor  suggests  the  wintergreen 
and  sweet  r;irch. 

FALSE  SOLOMON'S  SEAL. 

Smilacina  racemosa.     Lily  family. 

Stem^  —Usually  curving  ;  one  to  three  feet  long.  Leaves. — Oblong; 
veiny.  Flowers. — Greenish-white;  small ;  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Perianth. 
* -Six-parted.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  pale  red  berry 
speckled  with  purple. 

A  singular  lack  of  imagination  is  betrayed  in  the  common 
name  of  this  plant.  Despite  a  general  resemblance  to  the  true 
Solomon's  seal,  and  the  close  proximity  in  which  the  two  are 
constantly  found,  S.  racemosa  has  enough  originality  to  deserve 
an  individual  title.  The  position  of  the  much  smaller  flowers  is 
markedly  different.  Instead  of  drooping  beneath  the  stem  they 
terminate  it,  having  frequently  a  pleasant  fragrance,  while  the 
berries  of  late  summer  are  pale  red,  flecked  with  purple.  It  puz- 
zles one  to  understand  why  these  two  plants  should  so  constantly 
be  found  growing  side  by  side — so  close  at  times  that  they  al- 
most appear  to  spring  from  one  point.  The  generic  name  is 
from  smtlax,  on  account  of  a  supposed  resemblance  between  the 
leaves  of  this  plant  and  those  which  belong  to  that  genus. 


BLACK  HAW. 

Viburnum  prunifolium.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  tall  shrub  or  small  tree.  Leaves. — Oval;  finely  and  sharply  toothed. 
Flowers. — White ;  small ;  in  flat-topped  clusters.  Calyx  — Five-toothed. 
Corolla.  —  Wheel-shaped  ;  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil.  —  One. 
Fruit. — Berry-like;  oval;  black,  or  with  bluish  bloom. 

In  May  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  noticeable  of  our 
white-flowered  shrubs  or  trees  is  the  black  haw.  Its  flat,  circular 
flower-clusters  are  usually  very  perfect  and  spotless.  They  are 
massed  abundantly  along  the  country  lanes - 

24 


PLATE  X) 


FALSE   SOLOMON'S  SElL.-Smilacina  racemosa. 
25 


WHITE 


HOBBLE  BUSH.     AMERICAN   WAYFARING-TREE. 

Viburnum  lantanoides.      Honeysuckle  Family. 

Leaves. — Rounded  ;  pointed  ;  closely  toothed  ;  heart-shaped  at  the  base  ; 
the  veins  beneath  as  well  as  the  stalks  and  small  branches  being  covered 
with  a  rusty  scurf.  Flowers. — White;  small;  in  flat-topped  clusters;  ap- 
pearing in  April  and  May.  Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — As  in  above.  Fruit. — 
Coral-red ;  berry-like. 

The  marginal  flowers  of  the  flat-topped  clusters  of  the  hob- 
ble-bush, like  those  of  the  hydrangea,  are  much  larger  than  the 
inner  ones,  and  usually  are  without  either  stamens  or  pistils  ;  their 
only  part  in  the  economy  of  the  shrub  being  to  form  an  attractive 
setting  for  the  cluster,  and  thus  to  allure  the  insect  visitors  that 
are  usually  so  necessary  to  the  future  well-being  of  the  species. 
The  shrub  is  a  common  one  in  our  northern  woods  and  moun- 
tains, its  coral-red,  berry-like  fruit  and  brilliant  leaves  making  it 
especially  attractive  in  the  later  year.  Its  straggling  growth, 
and  the  reclining  branches  which  often  take  root  in  the  ground, 
have  suggested  the  popular  names  of  hobble-bush  and  wayfaring- 
tree. 

MAPLE-LEAVED  VIBURNUM.    DOCKMACKIE. 

Viburnum  acerifolium.      Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Somewhat  three-lobed, 
resembling  those  of  the  maple  ;  downy  underneath.  Flowers.  —  White  ; 
small;  in  flat-topped  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Spread- 
ing; five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Berry-like; 
crimson  turning  purple. 

Our  flowering  shrubs  contribute  even  more  to  the  beauty  of 
the  June  woods  and  fields  than  the  smaller  plants.  The  vibur- 
nums and  dogwoods  especially  are  conspicuous  at  this  season, 
abundantly  lining  the  roadsides  /with  their  snowy  clusters. 
When  the  blossoms  of  the  maple-leaved  viburnum  or  dockmackie 
have  passed  away  we  need  not  be  surprised  if  we  are  informed 
that  this  shrub  is  a  young  maple.  There  is  certainly  a  resem- 
blance between  its  leaves  and  those  of  the  maple,  as  the  specific 

26 


PLATE   XII 


acerifolmm. 


Flower  enlarged. 


WHITE 

name  indicates.  To  be  sure,  the  first  red,  then  purple  berries, 
can  scarcely  be  accounted  for,  but  such  a  trifling  incongruity 
would  fail  to  daunt  the  would-be  wiseacre  of  field  and  forest. 
With  Napoleonic  audacity  he  will  give  you  the  name  of  almost 
any  shrub  or  flower  about  which  you  may  inquire.  Seizing 
upon  some  feature  he  has  observed  in  another  plant,  he  will  im- 
mediately christen  the  one  in  question  with  the  same  title — 
somewhat  modified,  perhaps — and  in  all  probability  his  author- 
ity will  remain  unquestioned.  There  is  a  marvellous  amount  of 
inaccuracy  afloat  in  regard  to  the  names  of  even  the  commonest 
plants,  owing  to  this  wide-spread  habit  of  guessing  at  the  truth 
and  stating  a  conjecture  as  a  fact. 


WITHE-ROD. 

Viburnum  cassinoides.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  shrub  five  to  twelve  feet  high.  Leaves. — Ovate  or  oval,  thick,  smooth. 
Flowers. — White,  much  as  in  above.  Fruit. — First  pink,  then  turning 
dark  blue  or  blackish  with  a  bloom. 

The  withe-rod  blossoms  in  early  summer.  The  first  pink, 
then  dark  blue  fruit,  is  noticeable  and  very  decorative  in  August 
in  wet  or  sandy  places. 


ARROW-WOOD. 

Viburnum  dentatum.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  shrub  from  five  to  fifteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Broadly  egg-shaped; 
sharply  toothed  ;  strongly  veined.  Flowers. — White  ;  small ;  in  flat-topped 
clusters.  Calyx,  etc. — As  in  above.  Fruit. — Dark  blue. 

This  is  a  not  uncommon  shrub  in  wet  places.  Its  white 
flower-clusters  are  noticeable  in  June  along  the  wooded  roadsides. 
There  are  many  other  species  of  viburnums  which  are  common 
in  certain  localities.  If  an  analysis  of  the  flower  shows  it  to  be- 
long to  this  genus,  Gray's  "Manual"  should  be  consulted  for 
further  identification, 

28 


PLATE   XIII 


Flower  enlarged. 
ARROW-WOOD.—  Viburnum  dentatum. 

29 


WHITE 


ROUND-LEAVED   DOGWOOD. 

Cornus  circinata.     Dogwood  Family. 

A  shrub  Six  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Rounded;  abruptly  pointed. 
Flowers. — Small ;  white  ;  in  flat,  spreading  clusters.  Calyx. — Minutely 
four-toothed.  Corolla. — Of  four  white,  oblong,  spreading  petals.  Stamens. 
— Four.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Light  blue  ;  berry-like. 

The  different  members  of  the  Dogwood  family  are  important 
factors  in  the  lovely  pageant  which  delights  our  eyes  along  the 
country  lanes  every  spring.  Oddly  enough,  only  the  smallest 
and  largest  representative  of  the  tribe  (the  little  bunch-berry, 
and  the  flowering-dogwood,  which  is  sometimes  a  tree  of  goodly 
dimensions),  have  in  common  the  showy  involucre  which  is 
usually  taken  for  the  blossom  itself;  but  which  instead  only  sur- 
rounds the  close  cluster  of  inconspicuous  greenish  flowers. 

The  other  members  of  the  genus  are  all  comprised  in  the 
shrubby  dogwoods ;  many  of  these  are  very  similar  in  appear- 
ance, bearing  their  white  flowers  in  flat,  spreading  clusters,  and 
differing  chiefly  in  their  leaves  and  fruit. 

The  branches  of  the  round-leaved  dogwood  are  greenish  and 
warty-dotted.  Its  fruit  is  light  blue,  and  berry-like. 

The  bark  of  this  genus  has  been  considered  a  powerful  tonic, 
and  an  extract  entitled  "  cornine,"  is  said  to  possess  the  proper- 
ties of  quinine  less  strongly  marked.  The  Chinese  peel  its  twigs, 
and  use  them  for  whitening  their  teeth.  It  is  said  that  the 
Creoles  also  owe  the  dazzling  beauty  of  their  teeth  to  this  same 
practice. 

ALTERNATE-LEAVED   DOGWOOD. 

Cornus  alternifolia.     Dogwood  Family. 

A  shrub  or  tree  eight  to  twenty-five  feet  high.  Branches. — Greenish 
streaked  with  white.  Leaves. — Alternate  ;  clustered  at  the  ends  of  the 
branches  ;  oval ;  long-pointed.  Floivers. — White  ;  small ;  in  broad,  open 
clusters.  Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — As  in  above.  Fruit. — Deep  blue  on  red- 
dish stalks. 

In  copses  on  the  hillsides  we  find  this  shrub  flowering  in  May 
or  June.  Its  deep  blue,  red-stalked  fruit  is  noticeable  in  late 
summer, 

30 


PLATE   XIV 


ROUND-LEAVED    DOGWOOD.— Cornus  circinata. 
31 


WHITE 


PANICLED   DOGWOOD. 

Cornus  paniculata.     Dogwood  Family. 

A  shrub  four  to  eight  feet  high.  Branches.  —  Gray  ;  smooth.  Leaves. — 
Narrowly  ovate  ;  taper-pointed  ;  whitish  but  not  downy  beneath.  Flowers, 
— White  ;  small ;  in  loose  clusters.  Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — As  in  other  dog- 
woods. Fruit. — White. 

Along  the  banks  of  streams  and  in  the  thickets  which  mark 
the  limits  of  the  meadow  we  find  this  shrub  in  flower  in  June  or 
early  July. 

RED-OSIER   DOGWOOD. 

Cornus  stolonifera.     Dogwood  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  six  feet  high.  Branches  (especially  the  young 
shoots). — Bright  purplish-red.  Leaves. — Ovate;  rounded  at  base;  short- 
pointed  ;  roughish ;  whitish  beneath.  Flowers.  — White ;  small ;  in  flat 
clusters.  Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — As  in  other  dogwoods.  Fruit. — White  or 
lead-color. 

This  is  a  common  shrub  in  wet  places,  especially  northward, 
flowering  in  June  or  early  July ;  being  easily  identified  through- 
out the  year  by  its  bright  reddish  branches,  and  after  midsum- 
mer by  its  conspicuous  lead-colored  berries. 

BEARBERRY. 

Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi.     Heath  Family. 

A  trailing  shrub.     Leaves.  — Thick  and  evergreen  ;  smooth  ;  somewhat 

wedge-shaped.     Flowers. — Whitish;  clustered.      Calyx. — Small.  Corolla 

— Urn-shaped;    five-toothed.     Stamens. — Ten.      Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — 
Red;  berry-like. 

This  plant  blossoms  in  May  or  June,  and  is  found  on  rocky 
hillsides  or  in  sandy  soil.  Its  name  refers  to  the  relish  with  which 
bears  are  supposed  to  devour  its  fruit. 


HAWTHORN.    WHITE-THORN. 

Cratoegus  coccinea.     Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree,  with  spreading  branches,  and  stout  thorns  or 
spines.  Leaves. — On  slender  leaf-stalks;  thin;  rounded;  toothed,  some- 
times lobed.  Flowers. — White  or  sometimes  reddish ;  rather  large;  clus- 

32 


PLATE   XV 


Flower  enlarged, 
RED-OSIER   DOGWOOD.— Cornus  stolonifera. 

33 


WHITE     . 

tered ;  with  a  somewhat  disagreeable  odor.  Calyx. — Urn-shaped ;  five- 
cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  broad,  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Five  to  ten  or 
many.  Pistil. — One  with  one  to  five  styles.  Fruit. — Coral-red. 

The  flowers  of  the  white-thorn  appear  in  spring,  at  the  same 
time  with  those  of  many  of  the  dogwoods.  Its  scarlet  fruit 
gleams  from  the  thicket  in  Septenaber. 


COCKSPUR  THORN. 

Crategus  Crus-galli.      Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  or  low  tree.  Thorns.  — Smooth  ;  slender  ;  often  four  incnes 
long.  Leaves. — Thick;  dark  green;  shining  above;  somewhat  wedge- 
shaped  ;  toothed  above  the  middle  ;  tapering  into  a  very  short  leaf-stalk. 
Flowers. — White;  fragrant;  in  clusters  on  short  side  branches.  Calyx, 
Corolla,  etc. — As  in  above.  Fruit. — Globular  ;  red,  in  late  summer  or 
autumn. 

The  cockspur  thorn  flowers  in  June.  Its  red  fruit,  somewhat 
suggesting  a  crab-apple,  is  conspicuous  throughout  the  autumn 
and  winter. 

There  are  several  other  species  of  thorn,  and  if  a  flower  be 
found  which  proves,  on  analysis,  to  belong  to  this  genus,  a 
reference  to  Gray's  "  Manual  "  will  lead  to  its  farther  identifi- 
cation. 

BEACH  PLUM. 

Prunus  maritima.      Rose  Family. 

A  low  straggling  shrub.  Leaves. — Ovate  or  oval,  finely  toothed. 
Flowers. — White  ;  showy  ;  clustered,  appearing  before  the  leaves.  Calyx. 
— Five-lobed.  Corolla. — Of  five  obovate  petals.  Stamens. — Numerous. 
Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Roundish,  purple,  with  a  bloom. 

During  the  months  of  April  and  May  the  flowers  of  the  beach 
plum  are  conspicuous  on  the  sand-hills  of  our  coast.  The  fruit 
ripens  in  the  fall. 


PLATE  XVI 


HAWTHORN.—  Cratasgns  coccinea. 


PLATE   XVII 


WHITE  BANEBERRY.— Aetna  alba* 
35 


WHITE 


MOUNTAIN   HOLLY. 

Nemopanthes  fascicularis.       Holly  Family. 

A  much-branched  shrub  ;  with  ash-gray  bark.  Leaves. — Alternate  ;  ob- 
long ;  smooth;  on  slender  leaf-stalks.  Flcnvers. — White;  some  perfect; 
others  unisexual ;  solitary  or  clustered  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  on  long, 
slender  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Minute  or  obsolete.  Corolla. — Of  four  or 
five  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — Four  or  five.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — 
Coral-red  ;  berry-like. 

The  flowers  of  this  shrub  appear  in  the  damp  woods  of  May. 
Its  light  red  berries  on  their  slender  stalks  are  noticed  in  late 
summer  when  its  near  relation,  the  black  alder  or  winterberry, 
is  also  conspicuous.  Its  generic  name  signifies  flower  with  a 
thread-like  stalk. 


WINTERBERRY.     BLACK   ALDER. 

Ilex  verticillata.      Holly  Family. 

A  shrub,  common  in  low  grounds.  Leaves. — Oval  or  lance-shaped  ; 
pointed  at  apex  and  base;  toothed.  Flowers. — White;  some  perfect, 
others  unisexual ;  clustered  on  very  short  flower-stalks  in  the  axil  of  the 
leaves;  appearing  in  May  or  June.  Calyx. — Minute.  Corolla. — Of  four 
to  six  petals.  Stamens. — Four  to  six.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Coral-red; 
berry-like. 

The  year  may  draw  nearly  to  its  close  without  our  attention 
being  arrested  by  this  shrub.  But  in  September  it  is  well-nigh 
impossible  to  stroll  through  the  country  lanes  without  pausing  to 
admire  the  bright  red  berries  clustered  so  thickly  among  the  leaves 
of  the  black  alder.  The  American  holly,  /.  opaca,  is  closely  re- 
lated to  this  shrub,  whose  generic  name  is  the  ancient  Latin  title 
for  the  holly-oak. 


WHITE   BANEBERRY. 

[PI.  XVII 

Actcea  alba.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — About  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice-compound  ;  leaf- 
lets incised  and  sharply  toothed.  Flowers. — Small ;  white  ;  in  a  thick,  ob- 
long, terminal  raceme.  Calyx. — Of  four  to  five  tiny  sepals  which  fall  as  the 
flower  expands.  Corolla. — Of  four  to  ten  small  flat  petals  with  slender 
claws.  Stamens. — Numerous,  with  slender  white  filaments.  Pistil—  One, 

36 


PLATE   XVIII 


BUNCH-BERRY.— Cornus  Canadensu 


with  a  depressed,  two-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. — An  oval  white  berry,  with  a 
dark  spot,  on  a  thick  red  stalk,  growing  in  a  cluster,  which  is  sometimes  a 
very  conspicuous  feature  of  the  woods  of  midsummer. 

The  feathery  clusters  of  the  white  baneberry  may  be  gathered 
when  we  go  to  the  woods  for  the  columbine,  the  wild  ginger, 
the  Jack-in-the-pulpit,  and  Solomon's  seal.  These  flowers  are 
very  nearly  contemporaneous  and  seek  the  same  cool  shaded 
nooks,  all  often  being  found  within  a  few  feet  of  one  another. 

The  red  baneberry,  A.  rubra^  is  a  somewhat  more  northern 
plant  and  usually  blossoms  a  week  or  two  earlier.  Its  cherry-red 
(occasionally  white)  berries  on  their  slender  stalks  are  easily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  white  ones  of  A.  alba, which  look  strikingly 
like  the  china  eyes  that  small  children  occasionally  manage  to 
gouge  from  their  dolls'  heads. 


RED-BERRIED   ELDER. 

Sambucus  racemosa.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Stems. — Woody;  two  to  twelve  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  leaflets. 
Flowers. — White  ;  resembling  those  of  the  common  elder,  but  borne  in  py- 
ramidal instead  of  in  flat-topped  clusters.  Fruit. — Bright  red  ;  berry-like. 

The  white  pyramids  of  this  elder  are  found  in  the  rocky 
woods  of  May.  As  early  as  June  one  is  startled  by  the  vivid 
clusters,  of  brilliant  fruit  with  which  it  gleams  from  its  shadowy 
background. 

BUNCH-BERRY.     DWARF   CORNEL. 

[PI.  xvin 

Cornus  Canadensis.     Dogwood  Family. 

Stem. — Five  to  seven  inches  high.  Leaves. — Ovate  ;  pointed ;  the  upper 
crowded  into  an  apparent  whorl  of  four  to  six.  Flowers. — Greenish  ;  small ; 
in  a  cluster  which  is  surrounded  by  a  large  and  showy  four-leaved,  petal-like 
white  or  pinkish  involucre.  Calyx. — Minutely  four-toothed.  Corolla. — Of 
four  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Bright 
red  ;  berry-like. 

When  one's  eye  first  falls  upon  the  pretty  flowers  of  the 
bunch-berry  in  the  June  woods,  the  impression  is  received  that 
each  low  stem  bears  upon  its  summit  a  single  large  white  bios- 


PLATE  XIX 


B  U  C  K  B  E A  N  .—Menyanlhes  trifoliata. 


WHITE 

som.  A  more  searching  look  discovers  that  what  appeared  like 
rounded  petals  are  really  the  showy  white  leaves  of  the  involucre 
which  surround  the  small,  closely  clustered,  greenish  flowers. 

The  bright  red  berries  which  appear  in  late  summer  make 
brilliant  patches  in  the  woods  and  swamps.  Occasionally  the 
plant  is  found  flowering  also  at  this  season,  its  white  stars  show- 
ing to  peculiar  advantage  among  the  little  clusters  of  coral-like 
fruit.  It  is  closely  allied  to  the  well-known  flowering-dogwood, 
which  is  so  ornamental  a  tree  in  early  spring. 

In  the  Scotch  Highlands  it  is  called  the  "  plant  of  gluttony," 
on  account  of  its  supposed  power  of  increasing  the  appetite.  It 
is  said  to  form  part  of  the  winter  food  of  the  Esquimaux. 


BUCKBEAN. 

IPI.  xix 

Menyanthes  trifoliata.     Gentian  Family. 

Scape, — About  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Long  stemmed;  divided  into 
three  oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — White  or  reddish  ;  clustered  along  the 
scape.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Five-cleft;  short  funnel-form; 
white;  bearded  on  the  upper  surface.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with 
a  two-lobed  stigma. 

If  luck  favors  us,  in  May  or  early  June,  we  are  tempted  deep 
into  the  long  grass  of  some  treacherous  swamp  by  the  beautiful 
white  flowers  of  the  buckbean.  These  grow  about  one  foot 
above  the  ground,*  the  white  beards  which  fringe  their  upper  sur- 
faces giving  them  a  peculiarly  delicate  and  feathery  appearance. 


WILD   CALLA.    WATER  ARUM. 

[PL  XX 

Calla  palustris.     Arum  Family. 

Leaves. — Long  -  stemmed ;  heart-shaped.  Apparent  Flower. — Large; 
white.  Actual  Flowers. — Small ;  greenish  ;  packed  about  the  oblong  spadix. 

Although  only  eight  or  ten  inches  high,  this  plant  is  pecul- 
iarly striking  as  it  rises  from  the  rich  soil  of  the  swamp,  or  from 
the  shallow  borders  of  the  stream.  The  broad  smooth  leaves  at 
once  remind  one  of  its  relationship  to  the  so-called  "  calla-lily  " 

39 


WHITE 

of  the  greenhouses,  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  and 
the  likeness  is  still  more  apparent  in  the  white,  petal-like  (al- 
though flat  and  open)  spathe  which  tops  the  scape ;  so  that  even 
one  knowing  nothing  of  botanical  families  would  naturally  chris- 
ten the  plant  "wild  calla."  The  first  sight  of  these  white 
spathes  gleaming  across  a  wet  meadow  in  June,  and  the  closer 
inspection  of  the  upright,  vigorous  little  plants,  make  an  event 
in  the  summer.  None  of  our  aquatics  is  more  curious  and  inter- 
esting, more  sturdy,  yet  dainty  and  pure,  than  the  wild  calla. 


LIZARD'S  TAIL. 

Saururus  cernuus.     Pepper  Family. 

Stem. — Jointed;  often  tall.  Leaves. — Alternate;  heart-shaped.  Flowers, 
— White  ;  without  calyx  or  corolla  ;  crowded  into  a  slender,  wand-like  ter- 
minal spike  which  nods  at  the  end.  Stamens. — Usually  six  or  seven.  Pis- 
tils.— Three  or  four,  united  at  their  base. 

The  nodding,  fragrant  spikes  of  the  lizard's  tail  abound  in 
certain  swamps  from  June  till  August.  While  the  plant  is  not 
a  common  one,  it  is  found  occasionally  in  great  profusion,  and 
is  sure  to  arrest  attention  by  its  odd  appearance. 


MOONSEED. 

Menispermum  Canadense.     Moonseed  Family. 

Stem. — Woody;  climbing.  Leaves. — Three  to  seven-angled  orlobed; 
their  stalks  fastened  near  the  edge  of  the  lower  surface.  Flowers. — White 
or  yellowish  ;  in  small  loose  clusters  ;  unisexual.  Calyx. — Of  four  to  eight 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  six  to  eight  short  petals.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Oc- 
curring on  different  plants.  Fruit. — Berry-like;  black,  with  a  bloom. 

Clambering  over  the  thickets  which  line  the  streams,  we  no- 
tice in  September  the  lobed  or  angled  leaves  and  black  berries  of 
the  moonseed,  the  small  white  or  yellowish  flowers  of  which 
were,  perhaps,  overlooked  in  June. 


40 


PLATE    XX 


WATER   ARUM.— Calla  falustris. 


WHITE 


CLOUD-BERRY.     BAKED  APPLE   BERRY. 

Rubus  Chamtzmorus.      Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Low,  simple.  Leaves. — Two  or  three  ;  roundish  kidney-shaped; 
usually  somewhat  five-lobed,  finely  toothed,  wrinkled.  Flmver. — Solitary  ; 
white.  Calyx.  —  Five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  white  obovate  petals. 
Fruit. — A  berry  of  a  few  reddish  or  amber-colored  grains;  edible. 

This  quaint  pretty  little  plant  I  have  found  springing  from 
beds  of  golden  brown  sphagnum,  on  one  of  the  Cranberry  Isl- 
ands, off  Mount  Desert.  Gray  assigns  it  to  the  "highest  peaks 
of  White  Mountains,  coast  of  eastern  Maine,  and  north  and  west 
to  the  Arctic  regions."  It  is  one  of  the  plants  which  is  found  in 
Alaska,  as  well  as  along  our  own  coast. 


COMMON  BLACKBERRY.   HIGH  BLACKBERRY. 

Rubus  villosus.     Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  one  to  six  feet  high,  armed  with  stout  prickles.  Leaves. — Di- 
vided into  three  to  five  leaflets.  Flowers. — With  five-parted  calyx;  five 
petals;  numerous  stamens  and  pistils.  Fruit. — Black. 

Though  the  common  blackberry  seems  almost  too  well  known 
to  need  description,  yet  occasionally  its  flowers  arouse  some 
doubt  and  curiosity  in  the  mind  of  the  wanderer  along  those 
country  lanes,  where  its  blossoming  branches  form  so  beautiful 
and  luxuriant  a  border. 


RUNNING  SWAMP   BLACKBERRY. 

Rubus  hispidus.      Rose  Family. 

Stems. — Slender;  creeping ;  beset  with  small,  weak  prickles.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  three,  or  rarely  five,  leaflets.  Flowers. — With  five-parted 
calyx ;  five  white  petals  ;  numerous  stamens  and  pistils.  Fruit. — Nearly 
black  when  ripe,  of  few  grains. 

Over  the  mosses  in  the  swamp  the  running  swamp  blackberry 
trails  its  reddish  stems  with  their  thick,  smooth,  shining  leaves, 
and  in  errly  summer  their  white  flowers.  A  few  weeks  later  we 

42 


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find  the  first,  red,  then  blackish  berries.  It  is  a  charming  plant, 
and  one  is  tempted  to  carry  home,  for  decorative  purposes,  a  few 
of  its  long  lithe  strands. 


LOW  BLACKBERRY.     DEWBERRY. 

Rubus  Canadensis.     Rose  Family. 

A  trailing  shrub,  armed  with  scattered  prickles  or  nearly  naked  ;  branches 
erect  or  ascending.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  ovate  or  oval  leaflets. 
Flowers. — With  five-parted  calyx  ;  five  white  petals  ;  numerous  stamens  and 
pistils.  Fruit. — Black,  edible,  delicious. 

The  dewberry  is  found  in  dry  ground,  trailing  along  the 
roadside,  or  in  dry,  perhaps  rocky  fields.  It  ripens  earlier  than 
the  common  blackberry. 


MOUNTAIN   LAUREL.     SPOONWOOD.     CALICO-BUSH. 

Kalmia  latifolia.      Heath  Family. 

An  evergreen  shrub.  Leaves.  —  Oblong;  pointed;  shining;  of  a  leath- 
ery texture.  Flowers. — White  or  pink  ;  in  terminal  clusters.  Calyx. — 
Five-parted.  Corolla. — Marked  with  red  ;  wheel-shaped;  five-lobed  ;  with 
ten  depressions.  Stamens. — Ten  ;  each  anther  lodged  in  one  of  the  depres- 
sions of  the  corolla.  Pistil. — One. 

The  shining  grtfen  leaves  which  surround  the  white  or  rose- 
colored  flowers  of  the  mountain  laurel  are  familiar  to  all  who 
have  skirted  the  west  shore  of  the  Hudson  River,  wandered 
across  the  hills  that  lie  in  its  vicinity,  or  clambered  across  the 
mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  where  the  shrub  sometimes  grows  to 
a  height  of  thirty  feet.  Not  that  these  localities  limit  its  range  ; 
for  it  abounds  more  or  less  from  Canada  to  Florida,  and  far  in- 
land, especially  along  the  mountains,  whose  sides  are  often 
clothed  with  an  apparent  mantle  of  pink  snow  during  the  month 
of  June,  and  whose  waste  places  are,  in  very  truth,  made  to  blos- 
som like  the  rose  at  this  season. 

The  shrub  is  highly  prized  and  carefully  cultivated  in  Eng- 
land. Barewood  Gardens,  the  beautiful  home  of  the  editor  of 


WHITE 

the  London  Times,  is  celebrated  for  its  fine  specimens  of  moun- 
tain laurel  and  American  rhododendron.  The  English  papers 
advertise  the  approach  of  the  flowering  season,  the  estate  is 
thrown  open  to  the  public,  and  the  people  for  miles  around  flock 
to  see  the  radiant  strangers  from  across  the  water.  The  shrub  is 
not  known  there  as  the  laurel,  but  by  its  generic  title,  Kalmia, 
The  head  gardener  of  the  place  received  with  some  incredulity 
my  statement  that  in  parts  of  America  the  waste  hill-sides  were 
brilliant  with  its  beauty  every  June. 

The  ingenious  contrivance  of  these  flowers  to  secure  cross- 
fertilization  is  most  interesting.  The  long  filaments  of  the  sta- 
mens are  arched  by  the  fact  that  each  anther  is  caught  in  a  little 
pouch  of  the  corolla ;  the  disturbance  caused  by  the  sudden  alight- 
ing of  an  insect  on  the  blossom,  or  the  quick  brush  of  a  bee's  wing, 
dislodges  the  anthers  from  their  niches,  and  the  stamens  spring 
upward  with  such  violence  that  the  pollen  is  jerked  from  its  hid- 
ing-place in  the  pore  of  the  anther-cell  on  to  the  body  of  the  in- 
sect-visitor, who  straightway  carries  it  off  to  another  flower  upon 
whose  protruding  stigma  it  is  sure  to  be  inadvertently  deposited. 
In  order  to  see  the  working  of  this  for  one's  self,  it  is  only  nec- 
essary to  pick  a  fresh  blossom  and  either  brush  the  corolla  quickly 
with  one's  finger,  or  touch  the  stamens  suddenly  with  a  pin, 
when  the  anthers  will  be  dislodged  and  the  pollen  will  be 
seen  to  fly. 

This  is  not  the  laurel  of  the  ancients — the  symbol  of  victory 
and  fame — notwithstanding  some  resemblance  in  the  form  of  the 
leaves.  The  classic  shrub  is  supposed  to  be  identical  with  the 
Laurus  nobilis>  which  was  carried  to  our  country  by  the  early 
colonists,  but  which  did  not  thrive  in  its  new  environment. 

The  leaves  of  our  species  are  supposed  to  possess  poisonous 
qualities,  and  are  said  to  have  been  used  by  the  Indians  for  sui- 
cidal purposes.  There  is  also  a  popular  belief  that  the  flesh  of  a 
partridge  which  has  fed  upon  its  fruit  becomes  poisonous.  The 
clammy  exudation  about  the  flower-stalks  and  blossoms  may 
serve  the  purpose  of  excluding  from  the  flower  such  small  insects 
as  would  otherwise  crawl  up  to  it,  dislodge  the  stamens,  scatter 

44 


PLATE   XXI 


MOUNTAIN  LAUREL.— Kalmia  latifolia. 


4S 


WHITE 

the  pollen,  and  yet  be  unable  to  carry  it  to  its  proper  destine 
tion  on  the  pistil  of  another  flower. 

The  Kalmia  was  named  by  Linnaeus  after  Peter  Kalm,  one  of 
his  pupils  who  travelled  in  this  country,  who  was,  perhaps,  the 
first  to  make  known  the  shrub  to  his  great  master. 

The  popular  name  spoonwood  grew  from  its  use  by  the  Ind- 
ians for  making  eating-utensils.  The  wood  is  of  fine  grain  and 
takes  a  good  polish. 

The  title  calico-bush  probably  arose  from  the  marking  of  the 
corolla,  which,  to  an  imaginative  mind,  might  suggest  the  cheap 
cotton-prints  sold  in  the  shops. 

AMERICAN  RHODODENDRON.    GREAT  LAUREL. 

Rhododendron  maximum.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  six  to  thirty-five  feet  high.  Leaves.  —  Thick  and  leathery  ; 
oblong;  entire.  Flowers.  —  White  or  pink;  clustered.  Calyx.  —  Minute; 
five-toothed.  Corolla.  —  Somewhat  bell-shaped;  five-parted;  greenish  in 
the  throat  ;  with  red,  yellow,  or  green  spots.  Stamens.  —  Usually  ten. 


This  beautiful  native  shrub  is  one  of  the  glories  of  our  coun- 
try when  in  the  perfection  of  its  loveliness.  The  woods  which 
nearly  cover  many  of  the  mountains  of  our  Eastern  States  hide 
from  all  but  the  bold  explorer  a  radiant  display  during  the  early 
part  of  July.  Then  the  lovely  waxy  flower-clusters  of  the  Amer- 
ican rhododendron  are  in  their  fulness  of  beauty.  As  in  the 
laurel,  the  clammy  flower-stalks  seem  fitted  to  protect  the  blos- 
som from  the  depredations  of  small  and  useless  insects,  while  the 
markings  on  the  corolla  attract  the  attention  of  the  desirable  bee. 

In  those  parts  of  the  country  where  it  flourishes  most  luxuri- 
antly, veritable  rhododendron  jungles,  termed  "  hells"  by  the 
mountaineers,  are  formed.  The  branches  reach  out  and  interlace 
in  such  a  fashion  as  to  be  almost  impassable. 

The  nectar  secreted  by  the  blossoms  is  popularly  supposed  to 
be  poisonous.  We  read  in  Xenophon  that  during  the  retreat  of 
the  Ten  Thousand  the  soldiers  found  a  quantity  of  honey,  of 
which  they  freely  partook,  with  results  that  proved  almosf  ^atal. 

46 


PLATE   XXII 


AMERICAN  RHODODENDRON.-&*o&<&K</n>» 
47 


WHITE 

This  honey  is  said  to  have  been  made  from  a  rhododendron 
which  is  still  common  in  Asia  Minor,  and  which  is  believed  to 
possess  intoxicating  and  poisonous  properties. 

Comparatively  little  attention  had  been  paid  to  this  superb 
flower  until  the  Centennial  Celebration  at  Philadelphia,  when 
some  fine  exhibits  attracted  the  admiration  of  thousands.  The 
shrub  has  been  carefully  cultivated  in  England,  having  been 
brought  to  great  perfection  on  some  of  the  English  estates.  It  is 
yearly  winning  more  notice  in  this  country. 

The  generic  name  is  from  the  Greek  for  rose-tret. 

WOOD  SORREL. 

Oxalis  Acetosella.     Geranium  Family. 

Scape. — One-flowered;  two  to  five  inches  high.  Leaves. — Dirided  into 
three  clover-like  leaflets.  Flower. — White,  veined  with  red  ;  solitary.  Calyx. 
• — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One 
with  five  styles. 

Surely  nowhere  can  be  found  a  daintier  carpeting  than  that 
made  by  the  clover-like  foliage  of  the  wood  sorrel,  when  studded 
with  its  rose-veined  blossoms,  in  the  northern  woods  of  June. 
At  the  very  name  comes  a  vision  of  mossy  nooks  where  the  sun- 
light only  comes  on  sufferance,  piercing  its  difficult  path  through 
the  tent-like  foliage  of  the  forest,  resting  only  long  enough  to  be- 
come a  golden  memory. 

The  early  Italian  painters  availed  themselves  of  its  chaste 
beauty.  Mr.  Ruskin  says  :  "  Fra  Angelico's  use  of  the  Oxalis 
Acetosella  is  as  faithful  in  representation  as  touching  in  feeling. 
The  triple  leaf  of  the  plant  and  white  flower  stained  purple  prob- 
ably gave  it  strange  typical  interest  among  the  Christian 
painters." 

Throughout  Europe  it  bears  the  odd  name  of  "  Hallelujah  " 
on  account  of  its  flowering  between  Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  the 
season  when  the  Psalms  sung  in  the  churches  resound  with  that 
word.  There  has  been  an  unfounded  theory  that  this  title  sprang 
from  St.  Patrick's  endeavor  to  prove  to  his  rude  audience  the 

48 


/LATE  XXII] 


WHITE  SWAMP  HONEYSUCKLE.— Rhododendron  viscosum. 


WHITE 

possibility  of  a  Trinity  in  Unity  from  the  three-divided  leaves. 
By  many  thh  ternate  leaf  has  been  considered  the  shamrock  of 
the  ancient  Irish. 

The  English  title,  "  cuckoo -bread,"  refers  to  the  appearance 
01"  the  blossoms  at  the  season  when  the  cry  of  the  cuckoo  is  first 
heard. 

Our  name  sorrel  is  from  the  Greek  for  sour  and  has  reference 
to  the  acrid  juice  of  the  plant.  The  delicate  leaflets  "  sleep  "  at 
night.  That  is,  they  droop  and  close  one  against  another. 

SWEET  CICELY. 

Osmorrhiza  longistylis.     Parsley  Family. 

One  to  th  ee  feet  high.  Root, — Thick;  aromatic;  edibie.  Leaves,- — 
Twice  or  thrice-compound.  Flowers, — White  \  small ;  growing  in  a  some- 
what flat-topped  cluster. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest- flowering  of  the  white  Parsleys. 
Its  roots  are  prized  by  country  children  for  their  pleasant  flavor. 
Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  confound  this  plant  with  the 
water -hemlock,  which  is  very  poisonous,  and  which  it  greatly 
resembles,  although  flowering  earlier  in  the  year.  The  generic 
name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify  scent  and  root. 

WHITE   SWAMP   HONEYSUCKLE.     CLAMMY  AZALEA. 

[PI    XXIII 

Rhododendron  viscosum.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves, — Oblong.  Flowers, — • 
White  ;  clustered  ;  appearing  after  the  leaves.  Calyx-lobes. — Minute.  Co- 
rolla.— White;  five-lobed;  the  clammy  tube  much  longer  than  the  lobes. 
Stamens, — Usually  five  ;  protruding.  Pistil. — One;  protruding. 

The  fragrant  white  flowers  of  this  beautiful  shrub  appear  in 
early  summer  along  the  swamps  which  skirt  the  coast,  and  occa- 
sionally farther  inland.  The  close  family  resemblance  to  the 
pink  azalea  (PI.  XCII.)  will  be  at  once  detected.  On  the 
branches  of  both  species  will  be  found  those  abnormal  fleshy 
growths,  called  variously  < «  swamp  apples  ' '  and  * '  May  apples, ' ' 

50 


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which  are  so  relished  by  the  children.  Formerly  these  growths 
were  attributed  to  the  sting  of  an  insect,  as  in  the  *<  oak  apple ;  " 
now  they  are  generally  believed  to  be  modified  buds. 


SWEET  BAY.     LAUREL  MAGNOLIA. 

Magnolia  glauca.     Magnolia  Family. 

A  shrub  from  four  to  twenty  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oval  to  broadly  lance- 
shaped  ;  from  three  to  six  inches  long.  Flowers. — White;  two  inches 
long  ;  growing  singly  at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  Calyx. — Of  three  sepals. 
Corolla. — Globular  ;  with  from  six  to  nine  broad  petals.  Stamens. — Numer- 
ous ;  with  short  filaments  and  long  anthers.  Pistils.  —  Many  ;  packed  so  as 
to  make  a  sort  of  cone  in  fruit.  Fruit. — Cone-like  ;  red ;  fleshy  when  ripe ; 
the  pistils  opening  at  maturity  and  releasing  the  scarlet  seeds  which  hang  by 
delicate  threads. 

The  beautiful  fragrant  blossoms  of  the  sweet  bay  may  be 
found  from  June  till  August,  in  swamps  along  the  coast  from 
Cape  Ann  southward.  This  is  one  of  the  shrubs  whose  beauty 
bids  fair  to  be  its  own  undoing.  The  large  flowers  are  sure  to 
attract  the  attention  of  those  ruthless  destroyers  who  seem  bent 
upon  the  final  extermination  of  our  most  pleasing  and  character- 
istic plants. 


COMMON  BLACK  HUCKLEBERRY.* 

Gaylussacia  resinosa.     Heath  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Stems. — Shrubby  ;  branching.  Leaves. — Oval 
or  oblong;  sprinkled  more  or  less  with  waxy  resinous  atoms.  Flowers. — 
White,  reddish,  or  purplish  ;  bell-shaped ;  growing  in  short,  one-sided  clus- 
ters. Calyx. — With  five  short  teeth.  Corolla. — Bell-shaped,  with  a  five- 
cleft  border.  Stamens.—  Ten.  Pistil.  —  One.  Fruit.—  A  black,  bloomless, 
edible  berry. 

The  flowers  of  the  common  huckleberry  appear  in  May  or 
June ;  the  berries  in  late  summer.  The  shrub  abounds  in  rocky 
woods  and  swamps. 

*  There  is  a  great  similarity  between  many  of  the  Heaths.  For  more  accu- 
rate identification  than  can  be  here  given,  Gray's  Manual  should  be  consulted. 


WHITE 


DANGLEBERRV. 

Gaylussacia  frondosa.     Heath  Family. 

A  loosely  branched  shrub  ;  from  three  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Ob- 
long ;  blunt;  pale  beneath.  Flowers. — Much  as  in  above,  but  borne  in 
loose,  slender  clusters.  Fruit. — A  large  blue  berry  with  a  whitish  bloom  ; 
sweet  and  edible. 

The  dangleberry  is  found  along  the  coast  of  New  England 
and  in  the  mountains  farther  south.  It  flowers  in  May  or  June. 

COMMON   BLUEBERRY. 

Vaccinium  corymbosum.     Heath  Family. 

A  tall  shrub  (from  five  to  ten  feet  high).  Flowers. — White  or  reddish  ; 
very  similar  to  those  in  above  (Gaylussacia},  but  borne  in  short  clusters  ;  ap- 
pearing in  spring  or  early  summer.  Fruit. — A  sweet  edible  berry  ;  blue  or 
black,  with  a  bloom ;  in  late  summer. 

The  common  blueberry  is  found  in  swamps  and  low  thickets. 

LOW    BLUEBERRIES. 

Vaccinium.     Heath  Family. 

Six  inches  to  three  feet  high.  Flowers. — White  or  reddish- white  ;  ap- 
pearing in  spring  or  early  summer.  Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — As  in  other  mem- 
bers of  this  genus.  Fruit. — A  large  blue  berry  ;  sweet. 

The  low  blueberries  usually  ripen  in  July  or  August.  They 
are  found  on  dry  hills  from  New  Jersey  northward,  being  espe- 
cially abundant  in  New  England. 


SQUAW  HUCKLEBERRY. 

Vaccinium  stamineum. — Heath  Family. 

Two  or  three  feet  high.  Stems. — Diffusely  branched.  Flowers. — 
Greenish-white  or  purplish  ;  suggesting  somewhat  those  of  the  blueberry  and 
huckleberry,  but  noticeable  especially  for  their  protruding  stamens.  Fruit. 
— A  globular  or  pear-shaped,  few-seeded  berry. 

This  large  greenish  or  yellowish  berry  is  hardly  edible.  The 
pretty,  fragrant  flowers  appear  in  June,  and  are  easily  recognized 
by  their  protruding  stamens.  The  leaves  are  pale  green  above 
and  whitish  underneath. 


PLATE  XXIV 


Fruit 
SQUAW   HUCKLEBERRY.—  Vaccinium  stamineum. 

53 


WHITE 


BOG  BILBERRY. 

Vaccinium  uliginosum.     Heath  Family. 

Low;  spreading;  tufted;  from  four  inches  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves.—' 
Oblong;  pale;  not  toothed.  Flowers. — White  or  reddish;  solitary,  or  two 
or  three  together,  set  close  to  the  stem.  Corolla. — Usually  f  our- toothed  • 
short;  urn-shaped.  Fruit. — A  sweet  berry  ;  black  with  a  bloom. 

The  bog  bilberry  is  found  blossoming  in  early  summer  on 
the  high  mountain-tops  of  New  England  and  New  York,  also 
farther  west  and  northward. 


MARSH  ANDROMEDA. 

Andromeda  polifolia.     Heath  Family. 

An  evergreen  shrub  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Leaves. — Thick  ; 
long  and  narrow ;  smooth ;  with  rolled  edges ;  dark  green  above,  white 
beneath.  Flowers.  —White  or  pinkish  ;  crowded  in  drooping  clusters  at  the 
ends  of  the  branches.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla.— Five-toothed, 
urn-shaped.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — one. 

This  pretty  evergreen  is  found  in  boggy  places  from  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  Jersey  northward,  flowering  in  June.  It  was 
named  Andromeda  by  Linnseus  because  he  found  it  "always 
fixed  on  some  little  turfy  hillock  in  the  midst  of  the  swamps,  as 
Andromeda  herself  was  chained  to  a  rock  in  the  sea."  Before 
expansion  the  flowers  are  usually  bright  red. 


STAGGER-BUSH. 

Andromeda  Mariana.     Heath  Family. 

Two  to  four  feet  high.     Leaves.—  Thin  ;  oblong.     Flowers.—  White  or 
reddish.     Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — Much  as  in  above. 

The  nodding  flowers  of  the  stagger -bush  appear  in  early  sum- 
mer. They  are  clustered  on  leafless  shoots  or  branches,  and  are 
usually  in  low,  dry  places,  from  Rhode  Island  southward.  The 
English  name  refers  to  the  supposition  that  the  foliage  is  poison- 
ous to  sheep. 

M 


PLATE  XXV 


LABRADOR  JEk.-  Ledum  lalijolium. 


WHITE 


Leucothoe  racemosa.     Heath  Family. 

Four  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Narrowly  oblong  ;  acute.  Flowers.— 
White  and  fragrant.  Calyx,  Corolla,  etc. — Much  as  in  above. 

In  moist  thickets,  usually  near  the  coast,  we  find  in  May  and 
June  the  long,  dense,  usually  erect,  one-sided  flower-clusters  of 
the  Leucothoe. 

LEATHER-LEAF. 

Cassandra  calyculata.      Heath  Family. 

A  much-branched  shrub  from  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oolong; 
nearly  evergreen  ;  leathery  and  shining  above  ;  rusty  beneath.  Flowers. — 
White ;  in  the  axils  of  the  small  upper  leaves,  forming  one-sided,  leafy  clus- 
ters which  are  less  dense  than  those  of  the  Leucothoe. 

In  April  or  May  the  leather-leaf  is  found  flowering  in  wet 
places. 


Cassiope  hypnoides.     Heath  Family. 

One  to  four  inches  high.  Stems. — Tufted  ;  procumbent.  Leaves. — 
Needle-shaped  ;  evergreen.  Flowers — White  or  rose-colored ;  solitary  ; 
nodding  from  erect,  slender  stalks.  Calyx. — Of  four  or  five  sepals.  Co- 
rolla.— Deeply  four  or  five  cleft.  Stamens. — Eight  or  ten.  Pistil. — One. 

This  pretty  moss-like  little  plant  is  found  on  the  mountain 
summits  of  New  York  and  New  England.  Its  delicate  nodding 
flowers  usually  appear  in  June. 


LABRADOR    TEA. 

[PI.  XXV 

Ledum  latifolium.     Heath  Family. 

An  erect  shrub  from  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Thickly  clothed 
beneath  with  a  rusty  wool ;  edges  rolled ;  narrowly  oblong.  Flowers. — White, 
small;  in  clusters  at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  Calyx. — Very  small  ;  five- 
toothed.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five  or  ten.  Pistil. — One. 

The  dense  woolliness  which  clothes  the  lower  side  of  the 
leaves  of  Labrador  tea  easily  identifies  it.  It  is  found  upon  the 
mountains,  and  in  boggy  places,  from  Pennsylvania  north  and 
westward. 

SS 


WHITE 


ONE-FLOWERED  PYROLA. 

Moneses  grandiflora.     Heath  Family. 

Scape. — Two  to  four  inches  high.  Leaves. — Rounded;  thin;  veiny; 
toothed;  from  the  roots.  Flower. — White  or  rose-colored;  solitary;  half 
an  inch  broad.  Calyx. — Five- parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded  widely 
spreading  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One;  protruding;  with  a  large 
five-rayed  stigma. 

This  lovely  little  plant  is  found  in  flower  in  the  deep  pine 
woods  of  June  or  July.  It  has  all  the  grace  and  delicacy  of  its 
kinsman,  the  shin-leaf  and  pipsissewa,  but,  if  possible,  is  even 
more  daintily  captivating.  The  generic  name  is  from  two 
Greek  words  signifying  single  and  delight,  in  reference  to  the 
"  beauty  which  is  a  joy"  of  the  solitary  flower,  and  betraying 
the  always  pleasing  fact  that  the  scientist  who  christened  it  was 
fully  alive  to  its  peculiar  charm. 


SHIN-LEAF. 

Pyrola  elliptica.     Heath  Family. 

Scape. — Upright ;  scaly ;  terminating  in  a  many-flowered  raceme.  Leaves. 
— From  the  root;  thin  and  dull;  somewhat  oval.  Fl<nvers. — White;  nod- 
ding. Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded,  concave  petals. 
Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  long  curved  style. 

In  the  distance  these  pretty  flowers  suggest  the  lilies-of- 
the-valley.  They  are  found  in  the  woods  of  June  and  July, 
often  in  close  company  with  the  pipsissewa.  The  ugly  common 
name  of  shin-leaf  arose  from  an  early  custom  of  applying  the 
leaves  of  this  genus  to  bruises  or  sores  ;  the  English  peasantry 
being  in  the  habit  of  calling  any  kind  of  plaster  a  "  shin-plaster  " 
without  regard  to  the  part  of  the  body  to  which  it  might  be 
applied.  The  old  herbalist,  Salmon,  says  that  the  name  Pyrola 
was  given  to  the  genus  by  the  Romans  on  account  of  the  fancied 
resemblance  of  its  leaves  and  flowers  to  those  of  a  pear-tree. 
The  English  also  call  the  plant  "  wintergreen,"  which  name  we 
usually  reserve  for  Gaultheria  procumbens. 

P.  rotundifolia  is  a  species  with  thick,  shining,  rounded  leaves. 
It  is  the  tallest  of  the  genus,  its  scape  standing,  at  times,  one  foot 

56 


PLATE  XXVI 


SHIN-LEAF.— Pyrola  elliptica. 

57 


WHITE 

above  the  ground.  This  species  exhibits  several  varieties  with 
rose-colored  flowers. 

The  smallest  member  of  the  group,  P.  secunda,  is  only  from 
three  to  six  inches  high.  Its  numerous  small,  greenish  flowers 
are  turned  to  one  side,  and  are  scarcely  nodding.  They  are 
clustered  in  spike-like  fashion  along  the  scape. 

P.  minor  can  be  distinguished  from  all  other  Pyrolas  by  the 
short  style  which  does  not  protrude  from  the  globular  blossom. 
This  is  a  retiring  little  plant  which  is  only  found  in  our  northern 
woods  and  mountains. 

Many  of  these  flowers  are  fragrant. 

PIPSISSEWA.    PRINCE'S  PINE. 

Chimaphila  umbellata.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. — Four  to  ten  inches  high ;  leafy.  Leaves. — Somewhat  whorled  o< 
scattered  ;  evergreen  ;  lance-shaped  ;  with  sharply  toothed  edges.  Flowers, 
— White  or  pinkish  :  fragrant ;  in  a  loose  terminal  cluster.  Calyx. — Five- 
lobed.  Corolla. — With  five  rounded,  widely  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — 
Ten,  with  violet  anthers.  Pistil. — One  ;  with  a  short  top-shaped  style  and 
disk-like  stigma. 

When  strolling  through  the  woods  in  summer  one  is  apt  to 
chance  upon  great  patches  of  these  deliciously  fragrant  and  pretty 
flowers.  The  little  plant,  with  its  shining  evergreen  foliage, 
flourishes  abundantly  among  decaying  leaves  in  sandy  soil,  and 
puts  forth  its  dainty  blossoms  late  in  June.  It  is  one  of  the  lat- 
est of  the  fragile  wood-flowers  which  are  so  charming  in  the  ear- 
lier year,  and  which  have  already  begun  to  surrender  in  favor  of 
their  hardier,  more  self-assertive  brethren  of  the  fields  and  road- 
sides. The  common  name,  pipsissewa,  is  evidently  of  Indian 
origin,  and  perhaps  refers  to  the  strengthening  properties  which 
the  red  men  ascribed  to  it. 

SPOTTED  PIPSISSEWA. 

Chimaphila  maculata.     Heath  Family. 

The  spotted  pipsissewa  blossoms  a  little  later  than  its  twin, 
sister.  Its  slightly  toothed  leaves  are  conspicuously  marked 
with  white. 

ii 


PLATE  XXVU 


PIPSISSEWA.— Chimaphila  umbellate. 


WHITE    DAISY.     WHITE-WEED.     OX-EYED  DAISY. 

Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum.     Composite  Family. 

The  common  white  daisy  stars  the  June  meadows  with  those 
gold-centred  blossoms  which  delight  the  eyes  of  the  beauty- 
lover  while  they  make  sore  the  heart  of  the  farmer,  for  the 
"  white-weed,"  as  he  calls  it,  is  hurtful  to  pasture  land  and  dif- 
ficult to  eradicate. 

The  true  daisy  is  the   Belli s  perennis    of    England, — the 

"Wee,  modest   crimson-tippit  flower  " 

of  Burns.  This  was  first  called  "  day's  eye,"  because  it  closed 
at  night  and  opened  at  dawn,— 

"That  well  by  reason  men  it  call  may, 
The  Daisie,  or  else  the  eye  of  the  day," 

sang  Chaucer  nearly  five  hundred  years  ago.  In  England  our 
flower  is  called  "ox-eye"  and  "moon  daisy;"  in  Scotland, 
"  dog-daisy." 

The  plant  is  not  native  to  this  country,  but  was  brought 
from  the  Old  World  by  the  early  colonists. 


DAISY  FLEABANE.      SWEET  SCABIOUS. 

Erigeron  annuus.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Stout ;  from  three  to  five  feet  high ;  branched  ;  hairy.  Leaves. — 
Coarsely  and  sharply  toothed ;  the  lowest  ovate,  the  upper  narrower. 
Flower-heads. — Small;  clustered;  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers, 
the  former  white,  purplish,  or  pinkish,  the  latter  yellow. 

During  the  summer  months  the  fields  and  waysides  are  whi- 
tened with  these  very  common  flowers  which  look  somewhat  like 
small  white  daisies  or  asters. 

Another  common  species  is  E.  strigosus,  a  smaller  plant, 
with  smaller  flower-heads  also,  but  with  the  white  ray-flowers 
longer.  The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying 

60 


PLATE  XXVIi 


Fruit 

WINTERGREEN.— Gaulthena,  procumbent 

61 


WHITE 


spring  and  an  old  man,  in  allusion  to  the  hoariness  of  certain 
species  which  flower  in  the  spring.  The  fleabanes  were  so  named 
from  the  belief  that  when  burned  they  were  objectionable  to  in- 
sects. They  were  formerly  hung  in  country  cottages  for  the 
purpose  of  excluding  such  unpleasant  intruders. 


WINTERGREEN.  CHECKERBERRY.  MOUNTAIN  TEA. 

[PI.  XXVIII 
Gaultheria  procumbens.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. — Three,to  six  inches  high ;  slender ;  leafy  at  the  summit.  Leaves. 
— Oval;  shining;  evergreen.  Flowers. — White,  growing  from  the  axils  of 
the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-lobed.  Corolla. — Urn-shaped;  with  five  small 
teeth.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  globular  red  berry. 

He  who  seeks  the  cool  shade  of  the  evergreens  on  a  hot  July 
day  is  likely  to  discover  the  nodding  wax-like  flowers  of  this 
little  plant.  They  are  delicate  and  pretty,  with  a  background 
of  shining  leaves.  These  leaves  when  young  have  a  pleasant 
aromatic  flavor  similar  to  that  of  the  sweet  birch;  they  are 
sometimes  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea.  The  bright  red  berries 
are  also  edible  and  savory,  and  are  much  appreciated  by  the 
hungry  birds  and  deer  during  the  winter.  If  not  thus  consumed 
they  remain  upon  the  plant  until  the  following  spring,  when  they 
either  drop  or  rot  upon  the  stem,  thus  allowing  the  seeds  to 
escape. 

INDIAN  PIPE.    CORPSE-PLANT.    GHOST-FLOWER. 

Monotropa  uniflora.     Heath  Family. 

A  low  fleshy  herb  from  three  to  eight  inches  high ;  without  green  foli- 
age ;  of  a  wax -like  appearance ;  with  colorless  bracts  in  the  place  of  leaves. 
Flower. — White  or  pinkish;  single;  terminal;  nodding.  Calyx. — Of  two 
to  four  bract-like  scales.  Corolla. — Of  four  or  five  wedge-shaped  petals. 
Stamens. — Eight  or  ten;  with  yellow  anthers.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  disk* 
like,  four  or  five-rayed  stigma. 

"  In  shining  groups,  each  stem  a  pearly  ray, 

Weird  flecks  of  light  within  the  shadowed  wood, 
They  dwell  aloof,  a  spotless  sisterhood. 
No  Angelus,  except  the  wild  bird's  lay, 


WHITE 

Awakes  these  forest  nuns ;  yet,  night  and  day, 

Their  heads  are  bent,  as  if  in  prayerful  mood. 
A  touch  will  mar  their  snow,  and  tempests  rude 
Defile ;  but  in  the  mist  fresh  blossoms  stray 

From  spirit-gardens,  just  beyond  our  ken. 

Each  year  we  seek  their  virgin  haunts,  to  look 
Upon  new  loveliness,  and  watch  again 

Their  shy  devotions  near  the  singing  brook  ; 

Then,  mingling  in  the  dizzy  stir  of  men, 

Forget  the  vows  made  in  that  cloistered  nook."  * 

The  effect  of  a  cluster  of  these  nodding,  wax-like  flowers  ii» 
the  deep  woods  of  summer  is  singularly  fairy-like.  They  spring 
from  a  ball  of  matted  rootlets,  and  are  parasitic,  drawing  their 
nourishment  from  decaying  vegetable  matter.  In  fruit  the  plant 
erects  itself  and  loses  its  striking  resemblance  to  a  pipe.  Its 
clammy  touch,  and  its  disposition  to  decompose  and  turn  black 
when  handled,  has  earned  it  the  name  of  corpse-plant.  It  was 
used  by  the  Indians  as  an  eye-lotion,  and  is  still  believed  by 
some  to  possess  healing  properties. 


MAYWEED.    CHAMOMILE. 

Anthemis  Cotula.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — Finely  dissected.  Flower- heads.—  Com- 
posed of  white  ray  and*  yellow  disk-flowers,  resembling  the  common  white 
daisy. 

In  midsummer  the  pretty  daisy -like  blossoms  of  this  strong- 
scented  plant  are  massed  along  the  roadsides.  So  nearly  a 
counterpart  of  the  common  daisy  do  they  appear  that  they  are 
constantly  mistaken  for  that  flower.  The  smaller  heads,  with 
the  yellow  disk-flowers  crowded  upon  a  receptable  which  is  much 
more  conical  than  that  of  the  daisy,  and  the  finely  dissected, 
feathery  leaves,  serve  to  identify  the  Mayweed.  The  country- 
folk brew  "  chamomile  tea"  from  these  leaves,  and  through 
their  agency  raise  painfully  effective  blisters  in  an  emergency. 

*  Mary  Thacher  Higginson. 
63 


WHITE 


NEW  JERSEY  TEA.    RED-ROOT. 

Ceanothus  Americanus :     Buckthorn  Family. 

Root. — Dark  red.  Stem. — Shrubby ;  one  to  three  feet  high.  Flowers.—* 
White ;  small ;  clustered.  Calyx. — White ;  petal-like  ;  five-lobed ;  in- 
curved. Corolla. — With  five  long-clawed  hooded  petals.  Stamens. — Five. 
Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas. 

This  shrubby  plant  is  very  common  in  dry  woods.  In  July 
its  white  feathery  flower-clusters  brighten  many  a  shady  nook  in 
an  otherwise  flowerless  neighborhood.  During  the  Revolution 
its  leaves  were  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea. 


BASTARD  TOADFLAX. 

Ctmandra  umbellata.     Sandalwood  Family. 

Stem. — Eight  to  ten  inches  high  ;  branching;  leafy.  Leaves. — Alter= 
nate;  oblong;  pale.  Flowers. — Greenish-white;  small;  clustered.  Calyx. 
— Bell  or  urn-shaped;  five-cleft.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Five;  in- 
serted on  the  edge  of  a  disk  which  lines  the  calyx,  to  the  middle  of  which 
the  anthers  are  connected  by  a  tuft  of  thread-like  hairs.  Pistil. — One; 
slender.  Fruit. — Nut-like  ;  crowned  by  the  lobes  of  the  calyx. 

In  May  or  June  we  often  find  masses  of  these  little  flowers 
in  the  dry,  open  woods.  The  root  of  the  bastard  toadflax  forms 
parasitic  attachments  to  the  roots  of  trees. 


WHITE   SWEET  CLOVER.    WHITE  MELILOT. 

Melilotus  alba.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  four  feet   high.     Leaves. — Divided   into   three-toothed 
leaflets.     Flowers. — Papilionaceous;  white;  growing  in  spike-like  racemes. 

Like  its  yellow  sister,  M.  officinalis,  this  plant  is  found  blos- 
soming along  the  roadsides  throughout  the  summer.  The  flowers 
are  said  to  serve  as  flavoring  in  Gruyere  cheese,  snuff,  and  smok- 
ing-tobacco,  and  to  act  like  camphor  when  packed  with  furs  to 
preserve  them  from  moths,  besides  imparting  i  pleasant  fra- 
grance. 

64 


PLATE   XXIA 


NEW  JERSEY  TEA.-C«w«Mw  American**. 
65 


WHITE 


WATERLEAF. 

Hydrophyllum  Virginicum.     Waterleaf  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  five  to  seven  oblong, 
pointed,  toothed  divisions.  Flowers. — White  or  purplish  ;  in  one-sided  ra- 
ceme-like clusters  which  are  usually  coiled  from  the  apex  when  young. 
Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Five-cleft ;  bell-shaped.  Stamens. — Five  ; 
protruding.  Pistil. — One. 

This  plant  is  found  flowering  in  summer  in  the  rich  woods. 


ENCHANTER'S  NIGHTSHADE. 

Circcea  Lutetiana.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — One  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  thin;  ovate;  slight- 
ly toothed.  Flowers. — Dull  white  ;  small;  growing  in  a  raceme.  Calyx. — 
Two-lobed.  Corolla. — Of  two  petals.  Stamens. — Two.  Pistil. — One. 
Fruit. — Small ;  bur-like ;  bristly  with  hooked  hairs. 

This  insignificant  and  ordinarily  uninteresting  plant  arrests 
attention  by  the  frequency  with  which  it  is  found  flowering  in 
the  summer  woods  and  along  shady  roadsides. 

C.  Alpina  is  a  smaller,  less  common  species,  which  is  found 
along  the  mountains  and  in  deep  woods.  Both  species  are  bur- 
dened with  the  singularly  inappropriate  name  of  enchanter's 
nightshade.  There  is  nothing  in  their  appearance  to  suggest  an 
enchanter  or  any  of  the  nightshades.  It  seems,  however,  that 
the  name  of  a  plant  called  after  the  enchantress  Circe,  and  de- 
scribed by  Dioscorides  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago,  was  acci- 
dentally transferred  to  this  unpretentious  genus. 

MOUNTAIN  SANDWORT.  MOUNTAIN  STARWORT. 

Arenaria  Groenlandica.     Pink  Family. 

Stems. — Densly  tufted,  two  to  four  inches  high.  Leaves. — Linear,  scat. 
tered  above,  matted  below.  Flowers. — White.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals. 
Corolla. — Of  five  entire  or  slightly  notched  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. 
—One,  with  three  styles. 

This  little  plant  is  usually  associated  with  some  rocky  moun- 
tain summit  from  whose  crevices  the  slender  tufted  stems  and 

66 


WHITE 

pretty  white  flowers  spring  in  dainty  contrast  to  their  rugged 
surroundings.  But  occasionally  the  mountain  sandwort  is  found 
in  the  lowlands  close  to  the  river  bank,  or  on  the  rocks  that  rise 
from  the  sea. 


BROAD-LEAVED  SANDWORT. 

Arenaria  lateriflora.     Pink  Family. 

Four  to  six  inches  high.  Leaves. — Thin  ;  oval  or  oblong.  Flowers. — 
White,  their  parts  sometimes  in  fours. 

The  broad-leaved  sandwort  abounds  in  moist  places  along  the 
seashore  in  parts  of  the  country.  Its  little  white  flowers  gleam- 
ing through  the  grasses  are  almost  too  small  to  be  noticed  by 
the  unobservant  pedestrian. 


FIELD  CHICKWEED. 

Cerastium  arvense.      Pink  Family. 

Four  to  eight  inches  high.  Stems. — Slender.  Leaves. — Linear  or  nar 
rowly  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — White  ;  large  ;  in  terminal  clusters.  Calyx- 
— Usually  of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Usually  of  five  two-lobed  petals  which 
are  more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  calyx.  Stamens. — Twice  as  many,  or 
fewer  than  the  petals.  Pistil. — One,  with  as  many  styles  as  there  are 
sepals. 

» 

This  is  one  of  the  most  noticeable  of  the  chickweeds.  Its 
starry  flowers  are  found  in  dry  or  rocky  places,  blossoming  from 
May  till  July. 

The  common  chickweed,  which  besets  damp  places  every- 
where, is  Stellaria  media ;  this  is  much  used  as  food  for  song- 
birds. 

The  long-leaved  stitchwort,  S.  longifolia,  is  a  species  which 
is  common  in  grassy  places,  especially  northward.  It  has  linear 
leaves,  unlike  those  of  S.  media,  which  are  ovate  or  oblong. 


WHITS 


THIMBLE-WEED. 

Anemone  Virginiana.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice  cleft,  the 
divisions  again  toothed  or  cleft.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  sometimes  white; 
borne  on  long,  upright  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — 
None.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Indefinite  in  number. 

These  greenish  flowers,  which  may  be  found  in  the  woods  and 
meadows  throughout  the  summer,  are  chiefly  striking  by  reason 
of  their  long,  erect  flower-stalks.  The  oblong,  thimble-like  fruit- 
head,  which  is  very  noticeable  in  the  later  year,  gives  to  the 
plant  its  common  name. 

LONG-FRUITED  ANEMONE. 

Anemone  cylindrica.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  about  two  feet  high  ;  silky-haired.  Flowers. — Greenish 
white;  much  as  in  above.  Fruit-head. — Cylindrical,  about  one  inch  long. 

The  long-fruited  anemone  flowers  in  the  dry  woods  of  May. 


Anemone  Pennsylvania.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy.  Flowers. — White;  rather  large;  otherwise  much  as  in 
above.  Fruit-head.  — Spherical . 

This  plant  really  is  another  of  the  thimble-weeds,  and  when 
in  flower  it  is  by  far  the  prettiest  and  most  noticeable  of  the 
group.  Its  white  blossoms  mass  themselves  along  the  waysides 
in  early  summer. 


CLEAVERS.    GOOSE-GRASS.    BEDSTRAW. 

Galium  Aparine.     Madder  Family. 

Stem. — Weak  and  reclining;  bristly.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped;  about 
eight  in  a  whorl.  Flowers. — White ;  small ;  growing  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx-teeth.  Obsolete.  Corolla. — Usually  four-parted;  wheel- 
shaped.  Stamens. — 'Usually  four.  Pistil. — One  with  two  styles.  Fruit. — 
Globular ;  bristly,  with  hooked  prickles  ;  separating  when  ripe  into  two  parts. 

This  plant  may  be  found  in  wooded  or  shady  places  through- 
out the  continent.     Its  flowers,  which  appear  in  summer,  are 

68 


PUATE  xxx 


THIMBLE-WEED.— Anemone  Virginian*. 
69 


WHITE 

rather  inconspicuous,  one's  attention  being  chiefly  attracted  by 
its  many  whorls  of  slender  leaves. 

SMALL  BEDSTRAW. 

Galium  trifidum.     Madder  Family. 

Stems. — Weak;  five  to  twenty  inches  high  ;  rough.  Leaves. — In  whorls 
of  four  to  six.  Flowers. — White  ;  small ;  one  to  seven  in  a  cluster.  Calyx- 
teeth. — Obsolete.  Corolla. — Three  or  four-parted.  Stamens. — Three  or 
four.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles.  Fruit. — Globular;  smooth;  sepa- 
rating when  ripe  into  two  parts. 

Very  common  in  wet  places  is  the  small  bedstraw.  From  its 
relative,  cleavers  or  goose-grass,  it  may  be  distinguished  by  its 
smooth  fruit,  and  by  the  number  of  leaves  in  a  whorl. 

ROUGH   BEDSTRAW. 

Galium  asprellum.     Madder  Family. 

Stem. — Much  branched ;  rough  with  crooked  prickles  ;  leaning  on  bushes  ; 
three  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — In  whorls  of  four  to  six;  with  almost 
prickly  margins  ;  sharply-pointed  at  tip  ;  oval.  Flowers. — As  in  small  bed- 
straw. 

This  larger  bedstraw  is  common  and  noticeable  in  New  Eng- 
land, as  well  as  farther  south  and  west.  All  three  species  of  Ga- 
Hum  are  conspicuous  chiefly  on  account  of  their  pretty  foliage. 


BLACK  COHOSH.  BUGBANE.  BLACK  SNAKEROOT. 

Cimicifuga  racemosa.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided,  the  leaflets  toothed 
or  incised.  Flowers. — White  ;  growing  in  elongated  wand-like  racemes. 
Calyx. — Of  four  or  five  white  petal-like  sepals;  falling  early.  Corolla. — 
Of  from  one  to  eight  white  petals  or  transformed  stamens.  Stamens. — 
Numerous,  with  slender  white  filaments.  Pistils. — One  to  three. 

The  tall  white  wands  of  the  black  cohosh  shoot  up  in  the 
shadowy  woods  of  midsummer  like  so  many  ghosts.  A  curious- 
looking  plant  it  is,  bearing  aloft  the  feathery  flowers  which  have 
such  an  unpleasant  odor  that  even  the  insects  are  supposed  to 

70 


PLATE   XXXi 


Fiuit. 


BLACK  COHOSH.-CV>«*r7/*tfa  racemosa. 
71 


WHITE 

avoid  them.  Fortunately  they  are  sufficiently  conspicuous  to  be 
admired  at  a  distance,  many  a  newly  cleared  hill-side  and  wood- 
border  being  lightened  by  their  slender,  torch -like  racemes  which 
flash  upon  us  as  we  travel  through  the  country.  The  plant  was 
one  of  the  many  which  the  Indians  believed  to  be  efficacious  for 
snake-bites.  The  generic  name  is  from  cimex — a  bug,  and/ugare 
— to  drive  away. 

CULVER'S  ROOT. 

Veronica   Virginica.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Straight  and  tall ;  from  two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled ; 
lance- shaped  ;  finely  toothed.  Flowers. — White;  small;  growing  in  slender 
clustered  spikes.  Calyx. — Irregularly  four  or  five-toothed.  Corolla. — Four 
or  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Two;  protruding.  Pistil. — One. 

The  tall  straight  stems  of  the  culver's  root  lift  their  slender 
spikes  in  midsummer  to  a  height  that  seems  strangely  at  variance 
with  the  habit  of  this  genus.  The  small  flowers,  however,  at 
once  betray  their  kinship  with  the  speedwells.  Although  it  is, 
perhaps,  a  little  late  to  look  for  the  white  wands  of  the  black 
cohosh,  the  two  plants  might  easily  be  confused  in  the  distance, 
as  they  have  much  the  same  aspect  and  seek  alike  the  cool  re- 
cesses of  the  woods.  This  same  species  grows  in  Japan  and  was 
introduced  into  English  gardens  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago. 
It  is  one  of  the  many  Indian  remedies  which  were  adopted  by 
our  forefathers. 

PARTRIDGE  VINE. 

Mite  he  I  la  rep  ens.     Madder  Family. 

Stems. — Smooth  and  trailing.  Leaves. — Rounded;  evergreen;  veined 
with  white.  Flowers. — White  or  pinkish  ;  fragrant ;  in  pairs.  Calyx. — 
Four-toothed.  Corolla. — Funnel-form,  with  four  spreading  lobes  ;  bearded 
within.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  its  ovary  united  with  that  of  its 
sister  flower ;  its  four  stigmas  linear. 

At  all  times  of  the  year  this  little  evergreen  plant  fulfils  its 
mission  of  adorning  that  small  portion  of  the  earth  to  which  it 

72 


PLATE  XXXII 


PARTRIDGE  VI  N  E.—  Mitchella  repens. 


WHITfe 

finds  itself  rooted.  But  only  the  early  summer  finds  the  partridge 
vine  exhaling  its  delicious  fragrance  from  the  delicate  sister 
blossoms  which  are  its  glory.  Among  the  waxy  flowers  will  be 
found  as  many  of  the  bright  red  berries  of  the  previous  year  as 
have  been  left  unmolested  by  the  hungry  winter  birds.  This 
plant  is  found  not  only  in  the  moist  woods  of  North  America, 
but  also  in  the  forests  of  Mexico  and  Japan.  It  is  a  near  relative 
of  the  dainty  bluets  or  Quaker  ladies,  and  has  the  same  pecul- 
iarity of  dimorphous  flowers  (p.  274). 


COMMON  ELDER. 

Sambucus  Canadensis.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Stems. — Scarcely  woody ;  five  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — White;  small;  in  flat-topped  clusters.  Calyx. 
— Lobes  minute  or  none.  Corolla. — With  five  spreading  lobes.  Stamens. — 
Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas.  Fruit. — Dark-purple. 

The  common  elder  borders  the  lanes  and  streams  with  its 
spreading  flower-clusters  in  early  summer,  and  in  the  later  year 
is  noticeable  for  the  dark  berries  from  which  "  elderberry  wine  '* 
is  brewed  by  the  country  people.  The  fine  white  wood  is  easily 
cut  and  is  used  for  skewers  and  pegs.  A  decoction  of  the  leaves 
serves  the  gardener  a  good  purpose  in  protecting  delicate  plants 
from  caterpillars.  Evelyn  wrote  of  it :  "If  the  medicinal  prop- 
erties of  the  leaves,  berries,  bark,  etc.,  were  thoroughly  known, 
I  cannot  tell  what  our  countrymen  could  ail  for  which  he  might 
not  fetch  from  every  hedge,  whether  from  sickness  or  wound." 

The  white  pith  can  easily  be  removed  from  the  stems,  hence 
the  old  English  name  of  bore-wood. 

The  name  elder  is  probably  derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon 
add — a  fire — and  is  thought  to  refer  to  the  former  use  of  the 
hollow  branches  in  blowing  up  a  fire. 


73 


WHITE 


SPURGE. 

Euphorbia  corollata.     Spurge  Family. 

Stem. — Two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Ovate  ;  lance-shaped  or  linear 
Flowers. — Clustered  within  the  usually  five-lobed,  cup-shaped  involucre, 
which  was  formerly  considered  the  flower  itself ;  the  male  flowers  numerous 
and  lining  its  base,  consisting  each  of  a  single  stamen  ;  the  female  flower 
solitary  in  the  middle  of  the  involucre,  consisting  of  a  three-lobed  ovary 
with  three  styles,  each  style  being  two-cleft.  Pod. — On  a  slender  stalk  • 
smooth. 

In  this  plant  the  showy  white  appendages  of  the  clustered 
cup-shaped  involucres  are  usually  taken  for  the  petals  of  the 
flower  ;  only  the  botanist  suspecting  that  the  minute  organs  with- 
in these  involucres  really  form  a  cluster  of  separate  flowers  of 
different  sexes.  While  the  most  northerly  range  in  the  Eastern 
States  of  this  spurge  is  usually  considered  to  be  New  York,  we 
are  told  that  it  has  been  recently  naturalized  in  Massachusetts. 
It  blossoms  from  July  till  October. 


GREAT  BURNET 

Poterium  Canadense.     Rose  Family. 

One  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  numerous  ovate  or  oblong 
leaflets.  Flowers. — White;  small.  Calyx. — White;  corolla-like,  four- 
lobed.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Four,  long-exserted,  club-shaped,  white, 
Pistil.—  One. 

A  conspicuous  midsummer  arrival  in  many  of  our  wet  mead- 
3ws,  more  especially  perhaps  in  those  near  the  sea,  is  the  great 
burnet.  This  is  a  tall  showy  plant,  with  foliage  suggestive  of 
the  Rose  family  to  which  it  belongs,  and  long-stalked  spikes  of 
feathery  white  flowers,  the  lower  ones  opening  first,  leaving  the 
upper  part  of  the  spike  in  bud.  These  flowers  owe  their  feath- 
ery appearance  to  the  long  white  stamens,  of  which  each  blossom 
seems  chiefly  to  consist,  the  four  petal-like  lobes  of  the  calyx  fall- 
ing early,  and  the  pistil  being  inconspicuous. 


74 


PLATE   XXXK 


Flowor. 


BUTTON  -  BU  SH  —Cephalanthus  occidentals* 

75 


WHITE 


BUTTON-BUSH. 

[PI.  XXXIII 
Cephalanthus  occidentalis.     Madder  Family. 

A  shrub  three  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite  or  whorled  in 
threes;  somewhat  oblong  and  pointed.  Flowers. — Small;  white;  closely 
crowded  in  round  button-like  heads.  Calyx. — Four -toothed.  Corolla. — 
Four-toothed.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil.— One,  with  a  thread-like  protrud- 
ing style  and  blunt  stigma. 

This  pretty  shrub  borders  the  streams  and  swamps  throughout 
the  country.  Its  button-like  flower-clusters  appear  in  midsum- 
mer. It  belongs  to  the  family  of  which  the  delicate  bluet  and 
fragrant  partridge  vine  are  also  members.  Its  flowers  have  a  jas« 
mine-like  fragrance. 


BROOK-WEED.    WATER  PIMPERNEL. 

Samolus  Valerandi.     Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high  ;  leafy.  Leaves. — Somewhat  oval  01 
wedge-shaped.  Flowers. — White;  small;  growing  in  clusters.  Calyx.—* 
Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Somewhat  bell-shaped  ;  five-cleft.  True  Stamens.— 
Five.  False  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One;  globe-shaped. 

This  plant  is  found  throughout  the  country,  in  wet  places, 
flowering  at  any  time  from  June  till  September. 


Dalibarda  repens.     Rose  Family. 

Scape. — Low.  Leaves.  —  Heart-shaped ;  wavy-toothed.  Flowers.  — 
White  ;  one  or  two  borne  on  each  scape.  Calyx. — Deeply  five  or  six-parted, 
three  of  the  divisions  larger  and  toothed.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Sra- 
mens. — Many.  Pistils. — Five  to  ten. 

The  foliage  of  this  pretty  little  plant  suggests  the  violet ; 
while  its  white  blossom  betrays  its  kinship  with  the  wild  straw- 
berry. It  may  be  found  from  June  till  September  in  woody 
places,  being  one  of  those  flowers  which  we  seek  deliberately, 
whose  charm  is  never  decreased  by  its  being  thrust  upon  us  in- 

76 


WHITE 

opportunely.  Who  can  tell  how  much  the  attractiveness  of  the 
wild  carrot,  the  dandelion,  or  butter-and-eggs  would  be  en- 
hanced were  they  so  discreet  as  to  withdraw  from  the  common 
haunts  of  men  into  the  shady  exclusiveness  which  causes  us  to 
prize  many  far  less  beautiful  flowers  ? 


ROUND-LEAVED  SUNDEW. 

Drosera  rotundifolia.     Sundew  Family. 

Scape. — A  few  inches  high.  Leaves. — Rounded,  abruptly  narrowed  into 
spreading,  hairy  leaf-stalks ;  beset  with  reddish,  gland-bearing  bristles. 
Flowers. — White  ;  growing  in  a  one-sided  raceme,  which  so  nods  at  its  apex 
that  the  fresh-blown  blossom  is  always  uppermost.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals. 
Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  or  five  styles,  which  are 
sometimes  so  deeply  two-parted  as  to  be  taken  for  twice  as  many. 

•'  What's  this  I  hear 

About  the  new  carnivora? 

Can  little  plants 

Eat  bugs  and  ants 

And  gnats  and  flies  ? 

A  sort  of  retrograding : 

Surely  the  fare 

Of  flowers  is  air, 

Or  sunshine  sweet ; 
,  They  shouldn't  eat, 

Or  do  aught  so  degrading!  " 

But  by  degrees  we  are  learning  to  reconcile  ourselves  to  the 
fact  that  the  more  we  study  the  plants  the  less  we  are  able  to  at- 
tribute to  them  altogether  unfamiliar  and  ethereal  habits.  We 
find  that  the  laws  which  control  their  being  are  strangely  sug- 
gestive of  those  which  regulate  ours,  and  after  the  disappearance 
of  the  shock  which  attends  the  shattered  illusion,  their  charm  is 
only  increased  by  the  new  sense  of  kinship. 

The  round-leaved  sundew  is  found  blossoming  in  many  of 
our  marshes  in  midsummer.  When  the  sun  shines  upon  its 
leaves  they  look  as  though  covered  with  sparkling  dewdrops, 
hence  its  common  name.  These  drops  are  a  glutinous  efcuda- 

17 


WHITE 

tion,  by  means  of  which  insects  visiting  the  plant  are  first  capt- 
ured ;  the  reddish  bristles  then  close  tightly  about  them,  and  it 
is  supposed  that  their  juices  are  absorbed  by  the  plant.  At  all 
events  the  rash  visitor  rarely  escapes.  In  many  localities  it  is 
easy  to  secure  any  number  of  these  little  plants  and  to  try  for 
one's  self  the  rather  grewsome  experiment  of  feeding  them  with 
small  insects.  Should  the  tender-hearted  recoil  from  such  reck- 
less slaughter,  they  might  confine  their  offerings  on  the  altar  of 
science  to  mosquitoes,  small  spiders,  and  other  deservedly  un- 
popular creatures. 

D.  Americana  is  a  very  similar  species,  with  longer,  narrower 
leaves. 

The  thread-leaved  sundew,  D.  filiformis,  has  fine,  thread-like 
leaves  and  pink  flowers,  and  is  found  in  wet  sand  along  the 
coast. 

"  A  little  marsh-plant,  yellow  green, 

And  pricked  at  lip  with  tender  red. 

Tread  close,  and  either  way  you  tread 

Some  faint  black  water  jets  between 

Lest  you  should  bruise  the  curious  head. 


You  call  it  sundew :  how  it  grows, 
If  with  its  color  it  have  breath, 
If  life  taste  sweet  to  it,  if  death 
Pain  its  soft  petal,  no  man  knows : 
Man  has  no  sight  or  sense  that  saith. " 

—SWINBURNE. 


POKEWEED.    GARGET.     PIGEON-BERRY. 

Phytolacca  decandra.     Pokeweed  Family. 

Stems. — At  length  from  six  to  ten  feet  high  ;  purple-pink  or  bright  red  ; 
stout.  Leaves. — Large;  alternate;  veiny.  Flowers. — White  or  pinkish; 
the  green  ovaries  conspicuous ;  growing  in  racemes.  Calyx.  —  Of  five 
rounded  or  petal-like  sepals,  pinkish  without.  Corolla.  —None.  Stamens.  — 
Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  ten  styles.  Fruit.—  A  dark  purplish  berry. 

There  is  a  vigor  about  this  native  plant  which  is  very  pleas- 
ing.    In  July  it  is  possible  that  we  barely  notice  the  white  flow- 

78 


PLATE  XXXIV 


/ 


Fruit 


WHITE 

ers  and  large  leaves;  but  when  in  September  the  tall  purple 
stems  rear  themselves  above  their  neighbors  in  the  roadside 
thicket,  the  leaves  look  as  though  stained  with  wine,  and  the 
long  clusters  of  rich  dark  berries  hang  heavily  from  the  branches, 
we  cannot  but  admire  its  independent  beauty.  The  berries  serve 
as  food  for  the  birds.  A  tincture  of  them  at  one  time  acquired 
some  reputation  as  a  remedy  for  rheumatism.  In  Pennsylvania 
they  have  been  used  with  whiskey  to  make  a  so-called  "  port- 
wine.  ' '  From  their  dark  juice  arose  the  name  of  ' '  red-ink 
plant,"  which  is  common  in  some  places.  The  large  roots  are 
poisonous,  but  the  acrid  young  shoots  are  rendered  harmless  by 
boiling,  and  are  eaten  like  asparagus,  being  quite  as  good,  I  have 
been  told  by  country  people. 

Despite  the  difference  in  the  spelling  of  the  names,  it  has 
been  suggested  that  the  plant  was  called  after  President  Polk. 
This  is  most  improbable,  as  it  was  common  throughout  the 
country  long  before  his  birth,  and  its  twigs  are  said  to  have  been 
plucked  and  worn  by  his  followers  during  his  campaign  for  the 
presidency. 

BUNCH  FLOWER. 

Melanthium  Virginicum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  five  feet  high  ;  rather  slender ;  leafy.  Leaves. — Linear. 
Flowers. — Greenish  yellow  turning  brown  ;  in  a  rather  dense  panicle.  Per- 
ianth.— Of  six  somewhat  heart-shaped,  petal-like  sepals  raised  on  slender 
claws,  each  one  bearing  two  dark  glands  at  base.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil, 
^One,  with  three  styles. 

This  plant  derives  its  name  from  the  way  in  which  the  small 
flowers  are  bunched  or  crowded  together  on  top  of  the  tall  stems. 
Usually  the  lower  flowers  are  staminate  ;  the  upper  pistillate. 

It  grows  in  wet  meadows  from  Rhode  Island  to  Florida,  and 
blossoms  from  June  to  August. 


PLATE  XXXV 


MEADOW-SWEET.— Spiraa. 

81 


Zygadenus  elegans.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth;  slender;  one  to  three  feet  high,  from  bulb.  Leaves.— 
Linear,  flat,  keeled.  Flowers. — Greenish- white,  panicled.  Perianth. — Ot 
six,  thin,  petal-like  sepals,  each  one  marked  with  a  large  obcordate  gland 
at  base.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil.-—  One,  with  three  styles  or  stigmas. 

Throughout  midsummer,  in  New  York  and  parts  of  New  Eng- 
land, in  wet  and,  in  my  experience,  rocky  places,  these  pretty 
lily-like  flowers  are  in  their  prime.  They  rejoice  especially  in 
the  neighborhood  of  mountain  streams.  I  have  found  their 
tufted  clusters,  wet  with  the  spray  of  falling  water,  springing 
from  such  moist  precipitous  rocks  as  harbor  the  harebell  and  the 
bulbous  bladder  fern.  Indeed,  in  my  mind,  they  are  associated 
altogether  with  such  remote  enchanted  spots,  where  the  swift 
rush  of  the  stream  and  the  notes  of  the  shy  wood  birds  alone 
break  the  stillness* 


MEADOW-SWEET. 

[PI.  XXXV 
Spirtza  salicifolia.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Nearly  smooth;  two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate; 
very  broadly  lance-shaped ;  toothed.  Flowers. — Small;  white  or  flesh-col- 
or ;  in  pyramidal  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded 
petals.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five  to  eight. 

The  feathery  spires  of  the  meadow-sweet  soar  upward  from 
the  river  banks  and  low  meadows  from  July  onward.  Unlike 
its  pink  sister,  the  steeple-bush,  its  leaves  and  stems  are  fairly 
smooth.  The  lack  of  fragrance  in  the  flowers  is  disappointing, 
because  of  the  hopes  raised  by  the  plant's  common  name.  This 
is  said  by  Dr.  Prior  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  mead- 
wort,  which  signifies  honey-wine  herb,  alluding  to  a  fact  which  is 
mentioned  in  Hill's  "  Herbal,"  that  "the  flowers  mixed  with 
mead  give  it  the  flavor  of  the  Greek  wines." 

Although  the  significance  of  many  of  the  plant-names  seeing 
clear  enough  at  first  sight,  such  an  example  as  this  serves  to 
show  how  really  obscure  it  often  is. 

82 


PLATE  XXXVI 


THREE-TOOTHED  CINQUEFOIL— Potcntilla  tridentala. 


WHITE    AVENS. 

Geum  album.     Rose  Family* 

Stem. — Slender  ;  about  two  feet  high.  Root-leaves. — Divided  into  from 
three  to  five  leaflets,  or  entire.  Stem-leaves. — Three-lobed  or  divided,  or 
only  toothed.  Flowers. — White.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-cleft,  usually  with 
five  small  bractlets  alternating  with  its  lobes.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals. 
Slam  ens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Numerous,  with  hooked  styles  which  be- 
come elongated  in  fruit. 

The  white  avens  is  one  of  the  less  noticeable  plants  which 
border  the  summer  woods,  blossoming  from  May  till  August. 
Later  the  hooked  seeds  which  grow  in  round  bur-like  heads 
secure  wide  dispersion  by  attaching  themselves  to  animals  or 
clothing.  Other  species  of  avens  have  more  conspicuous  golden- 
yellow  flowers. 


THREE-TOOTHED  CINQUEFOIL. 

Potentilla  tridentata.      Rose  Family. 

Stems. — Low;  one  to  ten  inches  high;  rather  woody  at  base;  tufted. 
T, eaves. — Divided  into  three  oblong  leaflets,  which  are  thick,  and  coarsely 
three-toothed  at  their  apex.  Flowers. — White  ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Five- 
cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Many.  Pistils. — Many  in  a 
head. 

The  strawberry-like  blossoms  of  this  pretty  little  plant  ap- 
pear in  summer.  They  are  found  on  the  mountain-tops  of  the 
Alleghanies,  and  also  along  the  New  England  coast,  and  the 
shores  of  the  Great  Lakes. 


RATTLESNAKE-PLANTAIN. 

[PI.  XXXVII 
Goodyera  pubescens.     Orchis  Family. 

Scape. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — From  the  root  in  a  sort  of 
flat  rosette  ;  conspicuously  veined  with  white  ;  thickish  ;  evergreen.  Flo^v- 
ers. — Small ;  greenish-white  ;  crowded  in  a  close  spike. 

The  flowers  of  the  rattlesnake-plantain  appear  in  late  sum- 
mer and  are  less  conspicuous  than  the  prettily  tufted,  white- 
veined  leaves  which  may  be  found  in  the  rich  woods  throughout 


WHITE 

the  year.  The  plant  has  been  reputed  an  infallible  cure  for 
hydrophobia  and  snake-bites.  It  is  said  that  the  Indians  had 
such  faith  in  its  remedial  virtues  that  they  would  allow  a  snake 
to  drive  its  fangs  into  them  for  a  small  sum,  if  they  had  these 
leaves  on  hand  to  apply  to  the  wound. 


WHITE   FRINGED  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  blephariglottis.      Orchis  Family. 

About  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped ;  the  upper 
passing  into  pointed  bracts.  Flowers. — Pure  white ;  with  a  slender  spur 
and  fringed  lip  ;  growing  in  an  oblong  spike. 

This  seems  to  me  the  most  exquisite  of  our  native  orchids. 
The  fringed  lips  give  the  snowy,  delicate  flowers  a  feathery  ap- 
pearance as  they  gleam  from  the  shadowy  woods  of  midsummer, 
or  from  the  peat-bogs  where  they  thrive  best ;  or  perhaps  they 
spire  upward  from  among  the  dark  green  rushes  which  border 
some  lonely  mountain  lake.  Like  the  yellow  fringed  orchis, 
which  they  greatly  resemble  in  general  structure,  they  may 
be  sought  for  in  vain  many  seasons  and  then  will  be  discov- 
ered, one  midsummer  day,  lavishing  their  spotless  loveliness 
upon  some  unsuspected  marsh  which  has  chanced  to  escape  our 
vigilance. 

NORTHERN  WHITE  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  dilatata.     Orchis  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  leafy.  Leaves. — Long  and  narrow.  Flowers. — Small; 
white  ;  with  an  incurved  spur  ;  growing  in  a  slender  spike. 

The  mention  of  the  northern  white  orchis  recalls  to  my  mind 
one  midsummer  morning  in  a  New  England  swamp,  where 
tangles  of  sheep  laurel  barred  the  way,  branches  of  dogwood 
and  azalea  snapped  into  my  eyes,  while  patches  of  fragrant  ad- 
ders' mouths  and  fragile  Calopogons  just  escaped  being  trodden 
underfoot,  and  exacted,  by  way  of  compensation,  a  breathless 
but  delighted  homage  at  their  lovely  shrines.  Among  tall- 

84 


PUTE  xxxy 


RATTLESNAKE   PLANTAIN.- Goodyera  fubesccn* 


growing  ferns,  springing  from  elastic  beds  of  moss,  here  I  first 
found  the  slender,  fragrant  wands  of  this  pretty  orchid. 

LARGE   ROUND-LEAVED  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  orbiculata.     Orchis  Family. 

Scape. — Stout,  bracted,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Basal  leaves. — Two,  verj 
large,  orbicular,  spreading  flat  on  the  ground,  shining  above,  silvery  be- 
neath. Flowers. — Greenish-white,  spreading  in  a  loose  raceme,  with  linear 
and  slightly  wedge-shaped  lips  and  curved,  slender  spurs  about  an  inch 
and  a  half  long. 

The  peculiar  charm  of  this  orchid  lies  in  its  great  flat  rounded 
shining  leaves,  which  spread  themselves  over  the  ground  in  an 
opulent  fashion  that  seems  to  accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  deep 
pine  woods  where  they  are  most  at  home.  The  tall  scape  with 
its  many  greenish- white  flowers  reaches  maturity  in  July  or 
August. 

SWEET   PEPPERBUSH.    WHITE  ALDER. 

Clethra  alnifolia.      Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate  ;  ovate  ;  sharply 
toothed.  Flowers. — White;  growing  in  clustered  finger-like  racemes. 
Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  oblong  petals.  Stamens. — Ten; 
protruding.  Pistil. — One  ;  three-cleft  at  apex. 

Nearly  all  our  flowering  shrubs  are  past  their  glory  by  mid- 
summer, when  the  fragrant  blossoms  of  the  sweet  pepperbush  be- 
gin to  exhale  their  perfume  from  the  cool  thickets  which  line 
the  lanes  along  the  New  England  coast.  There  is  a  certain  luxu- 
riance in  the  vegetation  of  this  part  of  the  country  in  August 
which  is  generally  lacking  farther  inland,  where  the  fairer  flow- 
ers have  passed  away,  and  the  country  begins  to  show  the  effects 
of  the  long  days  of  heat  and  drought.  The  moisture  of  the  air, 
and  the  peculiar  character  of  the  soil  near  the  sea,  are  responsi- 
ble for  the  freshness  and  beauty  of  many  of  the  late  flowers  which 
we  find  in  such  a  locality. 

Clethra  is  the  ancient  Greek  name  for  the  alder,  which  this 
plant  somewhat  resembles  in  foliage. 

86 


PLATE  XXXVIIi 


$WEET  PEPPERBUSH.-C&Mm 


WHITE 


WILD  BALSAM  APPLE. 

Echinocystis  lobafa.     Gourd  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing;  nearly  smooth  ;  with  three-forked  tendrils.  Leaves. 
— Deeply  and  sharply  five-lobed.  Flowers. — Numerous  ;  small ;  greenish- 
white  ;  unisexual ;  the  staminate  ones  growing  in  long  racemes,  the  pistillate 
ones  in  small  clusters  or  solitary.  Fruit. — Fleshy ;  oval ;  green  ;  about 
two  inches  long  ;  clothed  with  weak  prickles. 

This  is  an  ornamental  climber  which  is  found  bearing  its 
flowers  and  fruit  at  the  same  time.  It  grows  in  rich  soil  along 
rivers  in  parts  of  New  England,  Pennsylvania,  and  westward ; 
and  is  often  cultivated  in  gardens,  making  an  effective  arbor- 
vine.  The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  sig- 
nify hedgehog  and  bladder,  in  reference  to  the  prickly  fruit. 


COLIC  ROOT.    STAR-GRASS. 

Aletris  farinosa.     Bloodwort  Family. 

Leaves.  —  Thin  ;  lance- shaped  ;  in  a  spreading  cluster  from  the  root. 
Scape. — Slender;  two  to  three  feet  high.  Flowers. — White;  small,  grow- 
ing in  a  wand-like,  spiked  raceme.  Perianth. — Six-cleft  at  the  summit ; 
oblong-tubular.  Stamens.—  Six,  orange-colored.  Pistil. — One,  with  style 
three-cleft  at  apex. 

In  low  wet  meadows  and  in  grassy  woods  the  tall  white 
wands  of  the  colic  root  shoot  above  its  companion  plants.  At 
the  first  glance  one  might  confuse  its  long  clusters  with  the 
twisted  spikes  of  ladies'  tresses,  but  a  closer  examination  reveals 
no  real  likeness  between  the  blossoms  of  the  two  plants.  Then, 
too,  the  flat  rosette  of  lance-shaped  leaves  from  which  springs 
the  white  wand  of  flowers  is  a  distinguishing  feature  of  the  colic 
root. 

Its  blossoms  are  wrinkled  and  rough  outside,  with  a  look  of 
being  dusted  with  white  meal,  whence  springs  its  generic  title, 
the  Greek  word  for  "  a  female  slave  who  grinds  corn."  They 
have  a  faint  raspberry-like  fragrance.  This  is  really  a  striking 
and  interesting  plant. 

83 


PLATE  XXXIX 


Single  flower. 


WILD  BALSAM-APPLE.— Echinocystis  iobata. 
89 


WHITE 


COMMON   YARROW.    MILFOIL. 

Achillea  Millefolium.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Simple  at  first,  often  branching  near  the  summit.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  finely  toothed  segments.  Flower- heads. — White,  occasionally 
pink  ;  clustered  ;  small ;  made  up  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

This  is  one  of  our  most  frequent  roadside  weeds,  blossoming 
throughout  the  summer  and  late  into  the  autumn.  Tradition 
claims  that  it  was  used  by  Achilles  to  cure  the  wounds  of  his 
soldiers,  and  the  genus  is  named  after  that  mighty  hero.  It 
still  forms  one  of  the  ingredients  of  an  ointment  valued  by  the 
Scotch  Highlanders.  The  early  English  botanists  called  the 
plant  "nose-bleed,"  "because  the  leaves  being  put  into  the 
nose  caused  it  to  bleed  ;  "  and  Gerarde  writes  that  "  Most  men 
say  that  the  leaves  chewed,  and  especially  greene,  are  a  remedie 
for  the  toothache."  These  same  pungent  leaves  also  won  it  the 
name  of  "old  man's  pepper,"  while  in  Sweden  its  title  signi- 
fies field  hop,  and  refers  to  its  employment  in  the  manufacture 
of  beer.  Linnaeus  considered  the  beer  thus  brewed  to  be  more 
intoxicating  than  that  in  which  hops  were  utilized.  The  old 
women  of  the  Orkney  Islands  hold  "milfoil  tea"  in  high  re- 
pute, believing  it  to  be  gifted  with  the  power  of  dispelling  mel- 
ancholy. In  Switzerland  a  good  vinegar  is  said  to  be  made 
from  the  Alpine  species.  The  plant  is  cultivated  in  the  gardens 
of  Madeira,  where  so  many  beautiful  and,  in  our  eyes,  rare,  flow- 
ers grow  in  wild  profusion. 

WILD  CARROT.    BIRD'S  NEST.    QUEEN  ANNE'S  LACE. 

Daucus  Car ota.     Parsley  Family. 

Stems. — Tall  and  slender.  Leaves. — Finely  dissected.  Flowers. — 
White  ;  in  a  compound  umbel,  forming  a  circular  flat-topped  cluster. 

When  the  delicate  flowers  of  the  wild  carrot  are  still  unsoiled 
by  the  dust  from  the  highway,  and  fresh  from  the  early  summer 
rains,  they  are  very  beautiful,  adding  much  to  the  appearance  of 
the  roadsides  and  fields  along  which  they  grow  so  abundantly  as 

qo 


WHITE. 

to  strike  despair  into  the  heart  of  the  farmer,  for  this  is,  per- 
haps, the  "  peskiest  "  of  all  the  weeds  with  which  he  has  to  con- 
cend.  As  time  goes  on  the  blossoms  begin  to  have  a  careworn 
look  and  lose  something  of  the  cobwebby  aspect  which  won 
them  the  title  of  Queen  Anne's  lace.  In  late  summer  the 
flower-stalks  erect  themselves,  forming  a  concave  cluster  which 
has  the  appearance  of  a  bird's  nest.  I  have  read  that  a  species 
of  bee  makes  use  of  this  ready-made  home,  but  have  never  seen 
any  indications  of  such  an  occupancy. 

This  is  believed  to  be  the  stock  from  which  the  garden  car- 
rot was  raised.  The  vegetable  was  well  known  to  the  ancients, 
and  we  learn  from  Pliny  that  the  finest  specimens  were  brought 
to  Rome  from  Candia.  When  it  was  first  introduced  into 
Great  Britain  is  not  known,  although  the  supposition  is  that  it 
was  brought  over  by  the  Dutch  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth. 
In  the  writings  of  Parkinson  we  read  that  the  ladies  wore  carrot- 
leaves  in  their  hair  in  place  of  feathers.  One  can  picture  the 
dejected  appearance  of  a  ball-room  belle  at  the  close  of  an  enter- 
tainment. 

WATER   HEMLOCK.     SPOTTED   COWBANE. 

Cicuta  maculata.     Parsley  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth ;  stout ;  from  two  to  six  feet  high  ;  streaked  with  purple. 
Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice-compound  ;  leaflets  coarsely  toothed.  Flowers. 
— White  ;  in  compound  umbels,  the  little  umbels  composed  of  numerous 
flowers. 

This  plant  is  often  confused  with  the  wild  carrot,  the  sweet 
Cicely,  and  other  white-flowered  members  of  the  Parsley  family ; 
but  usually  it  can  be  identified  by  its  purple-streaked  stem.  The 
umbels  of  the  water  hemlock  are  also  more  loosely  clustered  than 
those  of  the  carrot,  and  their  stalks  are  much  more  unequal.  It 
is  commonly  found  in  marshy  ground,  blossoming  in  midsummer. 
Its  popular  names  refer  to  its  poisonous  properties,  its  root  being 
said  to  contain  the  most  dangerous  vegetable  poison  native  to 
our  country,  and  to  have  been  frequently  confounded  with  that 
of  the  edible  sweet  Cicely  with  fatal  results. 

9» 


WHITE 


COW  PARSNIP. 

Hcracleum  lanatum.      Parsley  Family. 

Stem. — Stout,  often  two  inches  thick  at  base,  four  to  eight  feet  high, 
ridged,  hollow,  green.  Leaves. — The  lower  large,  compound  in  three  di- 
visions, leaflets  lobed  and  sharply  notched  ;  on  short  leaf-stems  which  are 
much  inflated  and  clasp  the  stalk;  rank-smelling.  Flowers. — In  spreading, 
flat-topped  clusters,  white,  with  heart-shaped,  notched  petals ;  outer  flow- 
ers larger  than  inner  ones,  and  with  irregular  petals. 

In  swampy  places  this  great  vigorous  looking  plant,  which 
blossoms  in  early  summer,  is  often  a  conspicuous,  and  despite 
its  coarseness,  not  altogether  an  unpleasing  feature. 


PURPLE-STEMMED   ANGELICA. 

Angelica  atropurpwea.     Parsley  Family. 

Stem. — Stout,  four  to  six  feet  high,  smooth,  dark  purple.  Leaves. — 
The  lower  very  large,  with  inflated  leaf-stems ;  compound  in  two  or  three 
divisions,  these  divided  into  lance-shaped  or  ovate  sharply-toothed  leaflets. 
Flowers. — White  or  greenish,  in  large  spreading  more  or  less  flat-topped 
clusters. 

In  early  summer,  especially  along  the  banks  of  streams  and 
rivers,  the  great  purple-stemmed  angelica  may  be  found  spreading 
its  flat-topped  clusters  of  small  greenish  flowers.  This  plant  may 
be  distinguished  from  the  cow  parsnip  by  its  purple  stem,  and 
by  its  numerous  pinnately-arranged  leaflets. 


SANICLE.    BLACK  SNAKE-ROOT. 

Sanicula  Marylandica.     Parsley  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Three  to  seven -parted  ;  the 
divisions  sharply  cut.  Flowers.—  Greenish-white  or  yellowish,  small ; 
borne  in  small  button-like  heads  in  a  two  to  four-rayed  umbel  which  tops 
the  stem ;  some  perfect,  others  staminate  only.  Fruit.  —  Round  and 
prickly. 

This  plant,  which  is  uninteresting  in  appearance  and  hardly 
suggestive  of  the  Parsley  family,  blossoms  in  our  wet  woods  dur- 
ing the  summer. 

02 


WHITE 


WATER  PARSNIP. 

Slum  cicutce folium.     Parsley  Family. 

Two  to  six  feet  high.  Stem. — Stout.  Leaves. — Divided  into  from  three 
to  eight  pairs  of  sharply  toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — White,  in  compound 
umbels. 

This  plant  grows  in  water  or  wet  places  throughout  North 
America.  I  have  found  it  in  great  abundance  both  in  swamps 
along  the  coast,  and  bordering  mountain  streams  far  inland. 
Its  Parsley-like  flower-clusters  at  once  indicate  the  family  of 
which  it  is  a  member. 


MOCK  BISHOP-WEED. 

Discopleura  capillacea.     Parsley  Family. 

One  or  two  feet  high,  occasionally  much  taller.  Stems. — Branching. 
Leaves. — Dissected  into  fine,  thread-like  divisions.  Flowers. — White  ;  very 
small ;  growing  in  compound  umbels  with  thread-like  bracts. 

This  plant  blossoms  all  summer  in  wet  meadows,  both  inland 
and  along  the  coast;  but  it  is  especially  common  in  the  salt- 
marshes  near  New  York  City.  It  probably  owes  its  English 
name  to  the  fancied  resemblance  between  the  bracted  flower- 
clusters  and  a  bishop's  cap.  Its  effect  is  feathery  and  delicate. 

WATER   HOREHOUND. 

Lycopus  sinuatus.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Erect ;  one  to  three  feet  high  ;  acutely  four-angled.  Leaves. — 
Opposite  ;  oblong  or  lance-shaped  ;  pointed  ;  irregularly  toothed  or  deeply 
parted,  or  some  of  the  upper  merely  wavy-margined.  Flowers. — Small  ; 
mostly  white;  in  close  whorls  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx-teeth. — 
Usually  five;  with  short,  sharp  points.  Corolla. — Bell-shaped;  nearly 
equally  four-lobed.  Stamens. — Four  (the  upper  pair  slender  and  conspicu- 
ous but  sterile).  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style.  Ovary. — Deeply 
four-lobed ;  splitting  when  ripe  into  four  little  nutlets. 

This  plant  abounds  in  wet  places,  flowering  throughout  the 
summer. 

93 


WHIT6 


BUGLE-WEEiX 

Lycopus  Virginicus.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Six  inches  to  two  feet  high;   obtusely  four-angled.     Flowers.— 
Much  as  in  above.      Calyx-teeth. — Usually  only  four  ;   barely  pointed. 

The  bugle-weed  is  found  in  wet  places  across  the  continent. 


WHITE    VERVAIN. 

Verbena  urticafolia.     Verbena  Family. 

Three  to  five  feet  high.     Leaves. — Oval ;   coarsely  toothed.     Flowers.— 
Small ;  white  ;  in  slender  spikes. 

It  almost  excites  one's  incredulity  to  be  told  that  this  unin- 
teresting-looking plant,  which  grows  rankly  along  the  highways, 
is  an  importation  from  the  tropics,  yet  for  this  statement  the 
botany  is  responsible. 

TRAVELLER'S  JOY.    VIRGIN'S   BOWER. 

Clematis  Virginiana.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing  ;  somewhat  woody.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  three-divided. 
Flowers. — Whitish  ;  in  clusters  ;  unisexual.  Calyx. — Of  four  petal-like  se- 
pals. Corolla. — None.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Indefinite  in  number;  oc- 
curring on  different  plants. 

In  July  and  August  this  beautiful  plant,  covered  with  its 
white  blossoms  and  clambering  over  the  shrubs  which  border  the 
country  lanes,  makes  indeed  a  fitting  bower  for  any  maid  or 
traveller  who  may  chance  to  be  seeking  shelter.  Later  in  the 
year  the  seeds  with  their  silvery  plumes  give  a  feathery  effect, 
which  is  very  striking. 

This  graceful  climber  works  its  way  by  means  of  its  bending 
or  clasping  leaf-stalks.  Darwin  has  made  interesting  experi- 
ments regarding  the  movements  of  the  young  shoots  of  the 
Clematis.  He  discovered  that,  "one  revolved,  describing  a 
broad  oval,  in  five  hours,  thirty  minutes ;  and  another  in  six 
hours,  twelve  minutes;  they  follow  thr  course  f  the  sun." 

94 


TRAVELLER'S  JOY.- Clematis  Virginian*. 


WHITE 


GROUND  CHERRY. 

Phy salts  Virginiana.     Nightshade  Family. 

A  strong-scented,  low,  much-branched  and  spreading  herb.  Leaves.— 
Somewhat  oblong  or  heart-shaped  ;  wavy-toothed.  Flowers. — Greenish  or 
yellowish- white  ;  solitary  on  nodding  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Five-cleft ; 
enlarging  and  much  inflated  in  fruit,  loosely  enclosing  the  berry.  Corolla. 
— Between  wheel-shaped  and  funnel-form.  Stamens.—  Five;  erect;  with 
yellow  anthers.  Pistil.— One.  Fruit.— A.  green  or  yellow  edible  berry 
which  is  loosely  enveloped  in  the  much-inflated  calyx. 

We  find  the  ground  cherry  in  light  sandy  soil,  and  are  more 
apt  to  notice  the  loosely  enveloped  berry  of  the  late  year  than 
the  rather  inconspicuous  flowers  which  appear  in  summer. 


TURTLE-HEAD. 

Chelone  glabra.     Figwort  Family. 

One  to  seven  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth;  upright;  branching.  Leaves. 
— Opposite;  lance  -  shaped ;  toothed.  Flowers. — White  or  pinkish;  grow- 
ing in  a  spike  or  close  cluster.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Two- 
lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  broad  and  arched,  notched  at  the  apex  ;  lower  lip 
three-lobed  at  the  apex,  woolly  bearded  in  the  throat.  Stamens. — Four  per- 
fect ones,  with  woolly  filaments  and  very  woolly,  heart-shaped  anthers,  and 
one  small  sterile  one.  Pistil. — One. 

It  seems  to  have  been  my  fate  to  find  the  flowers  which  the 
botany  relegates  to  "  dry,  Sandy  soil  "  flourishing  luxuriantly  in 
marshes ;  and  to  encounter  the  flowers  which  by  right  belong 
to  "  wet  woods  "  flaunting  themselves  in  sunny  meadows.  This 
cannot  be  attributed  to  the  natural  depravity  of  inanimate  ob- 
jects, for  what  is  more  full  of  life  than  the  flowers  ? — and  no  one 
would  believe  in  their  depravity  except  perhaps  the  amateur- 
botanist  who  is  endeavoring  to  master  the  different  species  of 
golden-rods  and  asters.  Therefore  it  is  pleasant  to  record  that 
I  do  not  remember  ever  having  met  a  turtle-head,  which  is 
assigned  by  the  botany  to  "wet  places,"  which  had  not  gotten 
as  close  to  a  stream  or  a  marsh  or  a  moist  ditch  as  it  well  could 
without  actually  wetting  its  feet.  The  flowers  of  this  plant  are 
more  odd  and  striking  than  pretty.  Their  appearance  is  such 

96 


PLATE    XL. 


T(JRTLE-HEAD.-CVk&»*  tfabra. 
P7 


WHITE 

that  their  common  name  seems  fairly  appropriate.     I  have  heard 
unbotanical  people  call  them  "  white  closed  gentians." 

COMMON   DODDER.     LOVE   VINE. 

Cuscuta  Gronovii.      Convolvulus  Family. 

Stems. — Yellow  or  reddish  ;  thread-like ;  twining  ;  leafless.  Flowers. 
— White  ;  in  close  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — With  five 
spreading  lobes.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

Late  in  the  summer  perhaps  we  are  tempted  deep  into  some 
thicket  by  the  jasmine-scented  heads  of  the  button-bush  or  the 
fragrant  spikes  of  the  Clethra,  and  note  for  the  first  time  the  tan- 
gled golden  threads  and  close  white  flower-clusters  of  the  dodder. 
If  we  try  to  trace  to  their  source  these  twisted  stems,  which  the 
Creoles  know  as  ''angels'  hair,"  we  discover  that  they  are 
fastened  to  the  bark  of  the  shrub  or  plant  about  which  they  are 
twining  by  means  of  small  suckers  ;  but  nowhere  can  we  find 
any  connection  with  the  earth,  all  their  nourishment  being  ex- 
tracted from  the  plant  to  which  they  are  adhering.  Originally 
this  curious  herb  sprang  from  the  ground  which  succored  it  un- 
til it  succeeded  in  attaching  itself  to  some  plant ;  having  accom- 
plished this  it  severed  all  connection  with  mother-earth  by  the 
withering  away  or  snapping  off  of  the  stem  below. 

The  flax-dodder,  C.  Epilinum,  is  a  very  injurious  plant  in 
European  flax-fields.  It  has  been  sparingly  introduced  into  this 
country  with  flax-seed. 


THORN-APPLE.     JAMESTOWN  WEED. 

Datura  Stramonium.     Nightshade  Family 

Stem.—  Smooth  and  branching.  Leaves. — Ovate ;  wavy  toothed  or 
angled.  Flowers. — White;  large  and  showy  ;  on  short  flower-stalks  from 
the  forks  of  the  branching  stem.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Fun- 
nel-form;  the  border  five-toothed.  Stamens.—  Five.  Pistils. — One.  Fruit. 
— Green  ;  globular ;  prickly. 

The  showy  white  flowers  of  the  thorn-apple  are  found  in 
waste  places  during  the  summer  and  autumn,  a  heap  of  rubbish 

98 


PLATE  XLII 


WHITE  HEATH   ASTER.— Aster  ericoidcs. 


PLATE  XLIII 


V 


POINTED  LEAVED  ASTER.—  Aster  acuminatus. 


WHITE 

forming  their  usual  unattractive  background.  The  plant  is  a 
rank,  ill-scented  one,  which  was  introduced  into  our  country 
from  Asia.  It  was  so  associated  with  civilization  as  to  be  called 
the  "  white  man's  plant  "  by  the  Indians. 

Its  purple-flowered  relative,  D.  Tatula,  is  an  emigrant  from 
the  tropics.     This  genus  possesses  narcotic-poisonous  properties. 


WHITE  ASTERS. 

[PI.  XLII.-XLIIl 
Aster.     Composite  Family. 

Flower-heads. — Composed  of  white  or  sometimes  purplish  ray-flowers 
with  a  centre  of  yellow  disk-flowers. 

While  we  have  far  fewer  species  of  white  than  of  blue  or 
purple  asters,  some  of  these  few  are  so  abundant  in  individuals 
as  to  hold  their  own  fairly  well  against  their  bright-hued  rivals. 

The  smooth,  slender,  somewhat  zigzag  stem  of  the  white 
wood  aster,  A.  corymbosus,  is  green  or  purple,  with  reddish 
streaks.  Its  leaves  are  thin,  the  lower  ones  large,  heart-shaped, 
and  somewhat  coarsely  toothed,  the  uppermost  small,  oval,  and 
tapering.  The  white  flower-heads  are  borne  in  loose  leafy  clus- 
ters. The  plant  is  found  blossoming  during  the  month  of  August 
in  open  woods  and  along  the  shaded  roadsides. 

Bordering  the  dry  fields  at  this  same  season  and  later,  we 
notice  the  spreading  wand-like  branches,  thickly  covered  on  their 
upper  sides  with  tiny  flower-heads,  as  with  snow-flakes,  of  the 
white  heath  aster,  A.  ericoides.  This  plant  is  easily  distinguished 
by  its  small  rigid  linear  leaves.  The  lower  leaves,  however,  are 
much  larger  and  somewhat  wedge-shaped. 

The  pointed -leaved  aster,  A.  acuminatus •,  is  easily  identified 
by  means  of  the  oblong-pointed  leaves,  which  are  crowded  so 
close  to  the  top  of  the  stem  as  to  give  often  the  effect  of  being 
whorled  just  below  the  white,  or  sometime  purplish,  flower-clus- 
ters. This  is  peculiarly  a  wood-loving  plant. 

A.  umbellatus  is  the  tall  white  aster  of  the  swamps  and  moist 
thickets.  It  sometimes  reaches  a  height  of  seven  feet,  and  can 

99 


WHITE 

be  identified  by  its  long  tapering  leaves  and  large,  flat  flower 
clusters. 

A  beautiful  and  abundant  seaside  species  is  A.  multiflorus. 
Its  small  flower-heads  are  closely  crowded  on  the  low,  bushy, 
spreading  branches ;  its  leaves  are  narrow,  rigid,  crowded,  and 
somewhat  hoary.  The  whole  effect  of  the  plant  is  heath-like  ;  it 
also  somewhat  suggests  an  evergreen. 


MILD  WATER-PEPPER. 

Polygonum  hydropiperoides.     Buckwheat  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  three  feet  high;  smooth;  branching.  Leaves. — Alter- 
nate; narrowly  lance-shaped  or  oblong.  Flowers. — White  or  flesh-color; 
small;  growing  in  erect,  slender  spikes.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — 
None.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One,  usually  with  three  styles. 

These  rather  inconspicuous  but  very  common  flowers  are 
found  in  moist  places  and  shallow  water. 

The  common  knotweed,  P.  avtculare,  which  grows  in  such 
abundance  in  country  door-yards  and  waste  places,  has  slender, 
often  prostrate,  stems,  and  small  greenish  flowers,  which  are  clus- 
tered in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  or  spiked  at  the  termination  of 
the  stems.  This  is  perhaps  the  "  hindering  knotgrass  "  to  which 
Shakespeare  refers  in  the  "Midsummer  Night's  Dream,"  so 
terming  it,  not  on  account  of  its  knotted  trailing  stems,  but  be- 
cause of  the  belief  that  it  would  hinder  the  growth  of  a  child. 
In  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  "  Coxcomb  "  the  same  superstition 
is  indicated : 

"  We  want  a  boy 
Kept  under  for  a  year  with  milk  and  knotgrass. " 

It  is  said  that  many  birds  are  nourished  by  the  seeds  of  this 
plant. 


too 


PLATE    XLIV 


BONESET.—  Eutatorittm  perfolidtum* 
101 


WHIT! 


CLIMBING   FALSE   BUCKWHEAT. 

Polygonum  scandens.-     Buckwheat  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth  ;  twining,  and  climbing  over  bushes  ;  eight  to  twelve  feet 
high.  Leaves. — Heart  or  arrow  shaped;  pointed;  alternate.  Flowers. — 
Greenish  or  pinkish  ;  in' racemes.  Calyx. — Five- parted  ;  with  colored  mar- 
gins. Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Usually  eight.  Pistil. — One,  with 
three  styles.  Seed-vessel. — Green  ;  three-angled  ;  winged  ;  conspicuous  in 
autumn. 

In  early  summer  this  plant,  which  clambers  so  perseveringly 
over  the  moist  thickets  which  line  our  country  lanes,  is  compara- 
tively inconspicuous.  The  racemes  of  small  greenish  flowers  are 
not  likely  to  attract  one's  attention,  and  it  is  late  summer  or 
autumn  before  the  thick  clusters  of  greenish  fruit,  composed  of 
the  winged  seed-vessels,  arrest  one's  notice.  At  this  time  the 
vine  is  very  beautiful  and  striking,  and  one  wonders  that  it  could 
have  escaped  detection  in  the  earlier  year. 


BONESET.    THOROUGHWORT. 

[PI.  XLIV 
Eupatorium  perfoliatum.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Stout  and  hairy  ;  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite  ; 
widely  spreading;  lance- shaped ;  united  at  the  base  around  the  stem. 
Flower-heads. — Dull  white;  small;  composed  entirely  of  tubular  blossoms 
borne  in  large  clusters. 

To  one  whose  childhood  was  passed  in  the  country  some 
fifty  years  ago  the  name  or  sight  of  this  plant  is  fraught  with 
unpleasant  memories.  The  attic  or  wood-shed  was  hung  with 
bunches  of  the  dried  herb,  which  served  as  so  many  grewsome 
warnings  against  wet  feet,  or  any  over-exposure  which  might 
result  in  cold  or  malaria.  A  certain  Nemesis,  in  the  shape  of  :. 
nauseous  draught  which  was  poured  down  the  throat  under  the 
name  of  "  boneset  tea,"  attended  such  a  catastrophe.  The  Ind- 
ians first  discovered  its  virtues,  and  named  the  plant  ague-weed. 
Possibly  this  is  one  of  the  few  herbs  whose  efficacy  has  not  been 
overrated.  Dr.  Millspaugh  says:  ''It  is  prominently  adapted 

102 


PLATE    XLV 


WHITE    SNAKEROOT.— Eupatorium  ageratoidn. 


WHITE 


to  cure  a  disease  peculiar  to  the  South,  known  as  break -bone 
fever  (Dengue),  and  it  is  without  doubt  from  this  property  that 
the  name  boneset  was  derived." 


ARROW-LEAVED  TEAR-THUMB. 

Polygomim  sagittatum.     Buckwheat  Family. 

Stem. — Four-angled ;  erect,  or  somewhat  climbing  by  its  prickles. 
Leaves. — Arrow-shaped;  short-stemmed.  FloTvers. — White  or  pale  pink; 
small;  clustered.  Calyx. — Usually  five-parted;  white  or  pale  pink.  Co- 
rolla.— None.  Stamens. — Usually  eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 
Fruit.— Sharply  three-angled. 

This  rather   noticeable  plant  is   common  in  low  grounds, 
bearing  the  name  of  ' l  scratch-grass  "  in  some  places. 


HALBERD-LEAVED    TEAR-THUMB. 

Polygonum  arifolium.     Buckwheat  Family. 

This  plant  is  distinguished  from  P.  sagittatum  by  its  taper- 
pointed,  long-stemmed  leaves. 


WHITE  SNAKEROOT. 

[PI.  XLV 
Eupatorium  ageratoides.     Composite  Family. 

About  three  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth  and  branching.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite  ;  long-stalked ;  broadly  ovate ;  coarsely  and  sharply  toothed.  Flower- 
heads. — White  ;  clustered;  composed  of  tubular  blossoms. 

This  species  is  less  common  but  more  beautiful  and  effective 
than  the  boneset.  It  is  found  blossoming  in  the  rich  northern 
woods  of  late  summer. 


104 


WHITE 


STARRY  CAMPION. 

Silene  stellata.     Pink  Family. 

Stem. — Swollen  at  the  joints  ;  about  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled 
in  fours;  oval;  taper-pointed.  Flowers. — White;  in  a  large  pyramidal 
cluster.  Calyx. — Inflated;  five-toothed.  Corolla. — Of  five  deeply  fringed 
petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

In  late  July  many  of  our  wooded  banks  are  decorated  with 
the  tall  stems,  whorled  leaves,  and  prettily  fringed  flowers  of  the 
starry  campion. 

BLADDER  CAMPION. 

Silene  Cticubalus.     Pink  Family. 

About  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  narrowly  oval.  Flowers. — 
White  ;  clustered.  Calyx.  —  Globular  ;  much  inflated  ;  conspicuously 
veined.  Corolla. — Of  five  two-cleft  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One, 
with  three  styles. 

This  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe,  which  was  first  natu- 
ralized near  Boston,  and  has  now  become  wild  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  quite  overrunning  some  of  the  farm-lands  which 
border  the  Hudson  River,  and  whitening  the  roadsides  of  Berk- 
shire. 

,TALL  MEADOW   RUE. 

Thalictrum  polygamum.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Four  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  many  firm,  rounded  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — White  ;  in  large  clusters  ;  some  perfect,  others  unisexual. 
Calyx. — Of  four  or  five  small  petal-like  sepals  which  usually  fall  off  very 
early.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Four  to  fifteen. 

When  a  stream  trails  its  sluggish  length  through  the  fields  of 
midsummer,  its  way  is  oftentimes  marked  by  the  tall  meadow  rue, 
the  feathery,  graceful  flower-clusters  of  which  erect  themselves 
serenely  above  the  myriad  blossoms  which  are  making  radiant 
the  wet  meadows  at  this  season.  For,  here,  too,  we  may  search 
for  the  purple  flag  and  fringed  orchis,  the  yellow  meadow  lily, 
the  pink  swamp  milkweed,  each  charming  in  its  way,  but  none 


WHITE 


with  the  cool  chaste  beauty  of  the  meadow  rue.     The  staminate 
flowers  of  this  plant  are  especially  delicate  and  feathery. 


LADIES'  TRESSES. 

Spiranthes  cernua.     Orchis  Family. 

Stem. — Leafy  below,  leafy-bracted  above;  six  to  twenty  inches  high. 
Leaves. — Linear-lance-shaped;  the  lowest  elongated.  Flowers. — White; 
fragrant ;  the  lips  wavy  or  crisped ;  growing  in  slender  spikes. 

This  pretty  little  orchid  is  found  in  great  abundance  in  Sep- 
tember and  October.  The  botany  relegates  it  to  "  wet  places," 
but  I  have  seen  dry  upland  pastures  as  well  as  low -lying  swamps 
profusely  flecked  with  its  slender,  fragrant  spikes.  The  braided 
appearance  of  these  spikes  would  easily  account  for  the  popular 
name  of  ladies'  tresses  ;  but  we  learn  that  the  plant's  English 
name  was  formerly  "  ladies'  traces"  from  a  fancied  resemblance 
between  its  twisted  clusters  and  the  lacings  which  played  so  im- 
portant a  part  in  the  feminine  toilet.  I  am  told  that  in  parts  of 
New  England  the  country  people  have  christened  the  plant 
*  *  wild  hyacinth. ' ' 

The  flowers  of  S.  gracilis  are  very  small,  and  grow  in  a  much 
more  slender,  one-sided  spike  than  those  of  S.  cernua.  They 
are  found  in  the  dry  woods  and  along  the  sandy  hill-sides  from 
July  onward. 

DEVIL'S  BIT.     BLAZING  STAR. 

Chamcelirium  Carolinianum.     Lily  Family. 

One  to  four  feet  high,  the  staminate  plant  taller.  Leaves. — The  lower 
wedge-shaped,  obtuse,  tapering  into  a  petiole  ;  the  upper,  linear,  pointed. 
Flowers. — White.  The  pistillate  and  staminate  growing  on  different  plants, 
in  a  long  wand-like,  spiked  raceme.  Perianth. — Of  six  white  segments ; 
staminate  flowers  with  six  stamens,  pistillate  flowers  with  one  pistil  having 
three  short  styles. 

From  May  to  July  the  oft-times  nodding  staminate  clusters, 
and  the  stiff  erect  pistillate  spikes  of  the  devil's  bit  may  be  found 
in  many  of  our  wet  meadows,  from  Massachusetts  to  Florida. 

106 


PLATE    XLV! 


LADIES'   TRESSES.— Spiranthts  cemua. 


WHITE 


WHITE   WATER-LILY. 

Nymphcza  odorata.     Water-lily  Family. 

Leaves. — Rounded  ;  somewhat  heart-shaped  ;  floating  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  Flowers. — Large;  white  or  sometimes  pink  ;  fragrant.  Calyx. — 
Of  four  sepals  which  are  green  without.  Corolla. — Of  many  petals.  Sta- 
mens.— Indefinite  in  number.  Pistil. — With  a  many-celled  ovary  whose 
summit  is  tipped  with  a  globular  projection  around  which  are  the  radiating 
stigmas. 

This  exquisite  flower  calls  for  little  description.  Many  of  us 
are  so  fortunate  as  to  hold  in  our  memories  golden  mornings  de- 
voted to  its  quest.  We  can  hardly  take  the  shortest  railway 
journey  in  summer  without  passing  some  shadowy  pool  whose 
greatest  adornment  is  this  spotless  and  queenly  blossom.  The 
breath  of  the  lily-pond  is  brought  even  into  the  heart  of  our  cit- 
ies, where  dark-eyed  little  Italians  peddle  clusters  of  the  long- 
stemmed  fragrant  flowers  about  the  streets. 

In  the  water-lily  may  be  seen  an  example  of  so-called  plant- 
metamorphosis.  The  petals  appear  to  pass  gradually  into  sta- 
mens, it  being  difficult  to  decide  where  the  petals  end  and  the 
stamens  begin.  But  whether  stamens  are  transformed  petals,  or 
petals  transformed  stamens,  seems  to  be  a  mooted  question.  In 
Gray  we  read,  "  Petals  numerous,  in  many  rows,  the  innermost 
gradually  passing  into  stamens;  "  while  Mr.  Grant  Allen  write? 
"  Petals  are  in  all  probability  enlarged  and  flattened  stamens, 
which  have  been  set  apart  for  the  work  of  attracting  insects," 
and  goes  on  to  say,  "  Flowers  can  and  do  exist  without  petals, 
.  .  .  but  no  flower  can  possibly  exist  without  stamens,  which 
are  one  of  the  two  essential  reproductive  organs  in  the  plant." 
From  this  he  argues  that  it  is  more  rational  to  consider  a  petal  a 
transformed  stamen  than  vice  versa.  To  go  further  into  the  sub- 
ject here  would  be  impossible,  but  a  careful  study  of  the  water- 
lily  is  likely  to  excite  one's  curiosity  in  the  matter. 


108 


WHITE 


ARROW-HEAD. 

Sagittaria  variabilis.     Water-plantain  Family. 

Scape. — A  few  inches  to  several  feet  high.  Leaves. — Arrow-shaped. 
Flowers. — White  ;  unisexual ;  in  whorls  of  three  on  the  leafless  scape.  Calyx. 
— Of  three  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  white,  rounded  petals.  Stamens  and 
Pistils. — Indefinite  in  number;  occurring  in  different  flowers;  the  lower 
whorls  of  flowers  usually  being  pistillate,  the  upper  staminate. 

Among  our  water-flowers  none  are  more  delicately  lovely  than 
those  of  the  arrow-head.  Fortunately  the  ugly  and  inconspic- 
uous female  flowers  grow  on  the  lower  whorls,  while  the  male 
ones,  with  their  snowy  petals  and  golden  centres,  are  arranged 
about  the  upper  part  of  the  scape,  where  the  eye  first  falls.  It  is 
a  pleasure  to  chance  upon  a  slow  stream  whose  margins  are  bor- 
dered with  these  fragile  blossoms  and  bright,  arrow-shaped 
leaves. 

WATER-PLANTAIN. 

Alisma  Plantago.     Water-plantain  Family. 

Scape. — One  to  three  feet  high  ;  bearing  the  flowers  in  whorled,  panicled 
branches.  Leaves. — From  the  root ;  oblong,  lance-shaped  or  linear,  mostly 
rounded  or  heart-shaped  at  base.  Flowers. — White  or  pale  pink;  small; 
in  large,  loose  clusters  which  branch  from  the  scape.  Calyx. — Of  three  se- 
pals. Corolla. — Of  three  petals.  Stamens.  —  Usually  six.  Pistils. — Many, 
on  a  flattened  receptacle. 
» 

The  water-plantain  is  nearly  related  to  the  arrow-head,  and 
is  often  found  blossoming  with  it  in  marshy  places  or  shallow 
water. 

GROUNDSEL  TREE. 

Baccharis  halimifolia.     Composite  Family. 

A  shrub  from  six  to  twelve  feet  high.  Leaves. — Somewhat  ovate  and 
wedge-shaped ;  coarsely  toothed,  or  the  upper  entire.  Flower-heads.  — 
Whitish  or  yellowish  ;  composed  of  unisexual  tubular  flowers  ;  the  stamens 
and  pistils  occurring  on  different  plants. 

Some  October  day,  as  we  pick  our  way  through  the  salt 
marshes  which  lie  back  of  the  beach,  we  may  spy  in  the  distance 

100 


WHITE 

a  thicket  which  looks  as  though  composed  of  such  white-flowered 
shrubs  as  belong  to  June.  Hastening  to  the  spot  we  discover 
that  the  silky-tufted  seeds  of  the  female  groundsel-tree  are  re- 
sponsible for  our  surprise.  The  shrub  is  much  more  noticeable 
and  effective  at  this  season  than  when — a  few  weeks  previous — 
it  was  covered  with  its  small  white  or  yellowish  flower -heads. 


GRASS  OF  PARNASSUS. 

Pamassia  Caroliniana.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stem. — Scape-like  ;  nine  inches  to  two  feet  high ;  with  usually  one  small 
rounded  leaf  clasping  it  below ;  bearing  at  its  summit  a  single  flower. 
Leaves. — Thickish  ;  rounded;  often  heart-shaped  ;  from  the  root.  Flower. 
-White  or  cream-color;  veiny.  Calyx. — Of  five  slightly  united  sepals. 
Corolla. — Of  five  veiny  petals.  True  Stamens. — Five  ;  alternate  with  the 
petals,  and  with  clusters  of  sterile  gland-tipped  filaments.  Pistil. — One, 
with  four  stigmas. 

Gerarde  indignantly  declares  that  this  plant  has  been  de« 
scribed  by  blind  men,  not  "  such  as  are  blinde  in  their  eyes,  but 
in  their  understandings,  for  if  this  plant  be  a  kind  of  grasse  then 
may  the  Butter-burre  or  Colte's-foote  be  reckoned  for  grasses — as 
also  all  other  plants  whatsoever."  But  if  it  covered  Parnassus 
with  its  delicate  veiny  blossoms  as  abundantly  as  it  does  some 
moist  New  England  meadows  each  autumn,  the  ancients  may 
have  reasoned  that  a  plant  almost  as  common  as  grass  must  some< 
how  partake  of  its  nature.  The  slender-stemmed  creamy  flowers 
are  never  seen  to  better  advantage  than  when  disputing  with  the 
fringed  gentian  the  possession  of  some  luxurious  swamp. 


PEARLY  EVERLASTING. 

Anaphilis  margaritacea.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Erect ;  one  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Broadly  linear  to  lance 
shaped.  Flower-heads. — Composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  with  very 
numerous  white  involucral  scales. 

This  species  is  common  throughout  our  northern  woods  and 
pastures,  blossoming  in  August.     Thoreau  writes  of  it  in  Sep 

no 


.-LATE   XLV* 


GRASS  OF  PARNASSUS.-Parwoftta  Caroliniana. 
Ill 


WHITE 

tember  :  "  The  pearly  everlasting  is  an  interesting  white  at  pres- 
ent. Though  the  stems  and  leaves  are  still  green,  it  is  dry  and 
unwithering,  like  an  artificial  flower  ;  its  white,  flexuous  stem  and 
branches,  too,  like  wire  wound  with  cotton.  Neither  is  there 
any  scent  to  betray  it.  Its  amaranthine  quality  is  instead  of 
high  color.  Its  very  brown  centre  now  affects  me  as  a  fresh  and 
original  color.  It  monopolizes  small  circles  in  the  midst  of 
^weet  fern,  perchance,  on  a  dry  hill-side." 


FRAGRANT   LIFE-EVERLASTING. 

Gnaphalium  polycephalum.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Erect;  one  to  three  feet  high  ;  woolly.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped. 
Flower-heads. — Yellowish- white  ;  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the  branches, 
composed  of  many  tubular  flowers. 

This  is  the  "  fragrant  life-everlasting,"  as  Thoreau  calls  it, 
of  late  summer.  It  abounds  in  rocky  pastures  and  throughout 
the  somewhat  open  woods. 


i  if 


11 
GREEN 

INDIAN   POKE.     FALSE   HELLEBORE. 

Veratrum  viride.     Lily  Family. 

Root. — Poisonous ;  coarse  and  fibrous.  Stem. — Stout ;  two  to  seven  feet 
high ;  very  leafy  to  the  top.  Leaves. — Broadly  oval ;  pointed  ;  clasping. 
Flowers. — Dull  greenish  ;  clustered.  Perianth. — Of  six  spreading  sepals. 
Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

When  we  go  to  the  swampy  woods  in  March  or  April  we 
notice  an  array  of  green,  solid-looking  spears  which  have  just  ap- 
peared above  the  ground.  If  we  handle  one  of  these  we  are  im- 
pressed with  its  firmness  and  rigidity.  When  the  increasing 
warmth  and  sunshine  have  tempted  the  veiny,  many-plaited 
leaves  of  the  false  hellebore  to  unfold  themselves  it  is  difficult  to 
realize  that  they  composed  that  sturdy  tool  which  so  effectively 
tunnelled  its  way  upward  to  the  earth's  surface.  The  tall  stems 
and  large  bright  leaves  of  this  plant  are  very  noticeable  in  the 
early  year,  forming  conspicuous  masses  of  foliage  while  the  trees 
and  shrubs  are  still  almost  leafless.  The  dingy  flowers  which 
appear  in  June  rarely  attract  attention,  unless  by  their  lack  of 
beauty. 

CARRION-FLOWER.     CAT-BRIER. 

Smilax  herbacea.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing,  three  to  fifteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Ovate,  or  rounded 
heart-shaped,  or  abruptly  cut  off  at  base.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  yellowish  ; 
small ;  clustered ;  unisexual.  Perianth. — Six-parted.  Stamens. — Six. 
Pistil. — One,  with  three  spreading  stigmas.  (Stamens  and  pistils  occurring 
on  different  plants.)  Fruit. — A  bluish-blacl'  berry. 

One  whiff  of  the  foul  breath  of  the  carrion  flower  suffices  for 
its  identification.  Thoreau  likens  its  odor  to  that  of  "  a  dead 


GREEN 

rat  in  the  wall."  It  seems  unfortunate  that  this  strikingly  hand- 
some plant,  which  clambers  so  ornamentally  over  the  luxuriant 
thickets  which  border  our  lanes  and  streams,  should  be  so  handi- 
capped each  June.  Happily  with  the  disappearance  of  the  blos- 
soms, it  takes  its  place  as  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  our  climbers. 

The  common  green-brier,  S.  rotundifolia,  is  a  near  relation 
which  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  prickly  stem. 

The  dark  berries  and  deeply  tinted  leaves  of  this  genus  add 
greatly  to  the  glorious  autumnal  display  along  our  roadsides  and 
in  the  woods  and  meadows. 


POISON    SUMACH. 

Rhus   venenata.     Cashew  Family. 

A  shrub  from  six  to  eighteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  seven 
to  thirteen  oblong  leaflets.  Floiuers. — Greenish  or  yellowish- white  ;  in  loose 
axillary  clusters  ;  some  perfect,  others  unisexual.  Fruit. — Whitish  or  dun- 
colored;  small,  globular. 

The  poison  sumach  infests  swampy  places  and  flowers  in 
June.  In  early  summer  it  can  be  distinguished  from  the  harm- 
less members  of  the  family  by  the  slender  flower-clusters  which 
grow  trom  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  those  of  the  innocent  sumachs 
being  borne  in  pyramidal,  terminal  clusters.  In  the  later  year  the 
fruits  of  the  respective  shrubs  are,  of  course,  similarly  situated, 
but,  to  accentuate  the  distinction,  they  differ  in  color  ;  that  of 
the  poison  sumach  being  whitish  or  dun-colored,  while  that  of 
the  other  is  crimson. 


STAGHORN  SUMACH. 

Rhus  typhina.     Cashew  Family. 

A  shrub  or  tree  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
eleven  to  thirty-one  somewhat  lance-shaped,  toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — 
Greenish  or  yellowish-white ;  in  upright  terminal  clusters  ;  some  perfect, 
others  unisexual ;  appearing  in  June.  Fruit. — Crimson  ;  small ;  globular  ; 
hairy. 

This  is  the  common  sumach  which  illuminates  our  hill-sides 
every  autumn  with  masses  of  flame-like  color.     Many  of  us  would 

114 


PLATE  XLVII! 


Fruit 


ktrbacta. 


SingU  stammat*  flowtr. 


us 


GREEN 

like  to  decorate  our  homes  with  its  brilliant  sprays,  but  are  de- 
terred from  handling  them  by  the  fear  of  being  poisoned,  not 
knowing  that  one  glance  at  the  crimson  fruit-plumes  should  re- 
assure us,  as  the  poisonous  sumachs  are  white- fruited.  These 
tossing  pyramidal  fruit -clusters  at  first  appear  to  explain  the 
common  title  of  staghorn  sumach.  It  is  not  till  the  foliage  has 
disappeared,  and  the  forked  branches  are  displayed  in  all  their 
nakedness,  that  we  feel  that  these  must  be  the  feature  in  which 
the  common  name  originated. 


POISON   IVY. 

Rhus  Toxicodendron.     Cashew  Family. 

A  shrub  which  usually  climbs  by  means  of  rootlets  over  rocks,  walls,  and 
trees  ;  sometimes  low  and  erect.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  somewhat 
four-sided  pointed  leaflets.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  yellowish- white  ;  small ; 
some  perfect,  others  unisexual ;  in  loose  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves 
in  June.  Fruit. — Small;  globular;  somewhat  berry-like;  dun-colored; 
clustered. 

This  much-dreaded  plant  is  often  confused  with  the  beautiful 
Virginia  creeper,  occasionally  to  the  ruthless  destruction  of  the 
latter.  Generally  the  two  can  be  distinguished  by  the  three- 
divided  leaves  of  the  poison  ivy,  the  leaves  of  the  Virginia 
creeper  usually  being  five-divided.  In  the  late  year  the  whitish 
fruit  of  the  ivy  easily  identifies  it,  the  berries  of  the  creeper  being 
blackish.  The  poison  ivy  is  reputed  to  be  especially  harmful 
during  the  night,  or  at  any  time  in  early  summer  when  the  sun 
is  not  shining  upon  it. 


VIRGINIA  CREEPER.    AMERICAN  IVY. 

Ampelopsis  quinquefolia.     Vine  Family. 

A  woody  vine,  climbing  by  means  of  disk-bearing  tendrils,  and  also  by 
rootlets.  Leaves. — Usually  divided  into  five  leaflets.  Flowers. — Greenish; 
small;  clustered;  appearing  in  July.  Fruit. — A  small  blackish  berry  in 
October. 

Surely  in  autumn,  if  not  always,  this  is  the  most  beautiful  of 
our  native  climbers.     At  that  season  its  blood-like  sprays  are  out- 

116 


PLATE  XLIX 


Fruit. 

POISON   \VY,—Rhus  Toxicodendron. 
117 


GREEN 

lined  against  the  dark  evergreens  about  which  they  delight  to 
twine,  showing  that  marvellous  discrimination  in  background 
which  so  constantly  excites  our  admiration  in  nature.  The  Vir- 
ginia creeper  is  extensively  cultivated  in  Europe.  Even  in 
Venice,  that  sea-city  where  one  so  little  anticipates  any  re- 
minders of  home  woods  and  meadows,  many  a  dim  canal  mir- 
rors in  October  some  crumbling  wall  or  graceful  trellis  aglow 
with  its  vivid  beauty. 


GREEN    ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  virescens. 

RAGGED  FRINGED  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  lacera.     Orchis  Family. 

Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped.      Flowers. — Greenish  or  yellowish* 
white  ;  growing  in  a  spike. 

These  two  orchids  are  found  in  wet,  boggy  places  during  the 
earlier  summer,  the  green  antedating  the  ragged  fringed  orchis 
by  a  week  or  more.  The  lip  of  the  ragged  fringed  is  three- 
parted,  the  divisions  being  deeply  fringed,  giving  what  is  called 
in  Sweet's  "British  Flower-Garden"  an  "  elegantly  jagged  ap- 
pearance. ' '  The  lip  of  the  green  orchis  is  furnished  with  a  tooth 
on  each  side  and  a  strong  protuberance  in  the  middle.  So  far 
as  superficial  beauty  and  conspicuousness  are  concerned  these 
flowers  do  scant  justice  to  the  brilliant  family  to  which  they  be- 
long, and  equally  excite  the  scornful  exclamation,  "  You  call 
that  an  orchid  !  ' '  when  brought  home  for  analysis  or  preserva- 
tion. 


Fiow«r(  tide  vi«w. 


Flowtr,  front  view 


RAGGED  FRINGED  ORCHIS.— Habcnaria.  latent. 
IIQ 


GREEN 


GREEN-FLOWERED   MILKWEED. 

Asclepias  verticillata.     Milkweed  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  very  leafy  to  the  summit.  Leaves. — Very  narrow ;  from 
three  to  six  in  a  whorl.  Flowers. — Greenish- white  ;  in  small  clusters  at  the 
summit  and  along  the  sides  of  the  stem.  Fruit. — Two  erect  pods,  one  often 
stunted. 

This  species  is  one  commonly  found  on  dry  uplands,  espe- 
cially southward,  with  flowers  resembling  in  structure  those  of 
the  other  milkweeds. 

BLUE  COHOSH. 

Caulophyllum  thalietroides.     Barberry  Family. 

Stems. — One  to  two  and  a  half  feet  high.  Leaf. — Large;  divided  into 
many-lobed  leaflets ;  often  a  smaller  one  at  the  base  of  the  flower-cluster. 
Flowers. — Yellowish-green  or  purplish  ;  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the 
stem ;  appearing  while  the  leaf  is  still  small.  Calyx.— Of  six  sepals  ;  with 
three  or  four  small  bractlets  at  base.  Corolla. — Of  six  thick,  somewhat 
kidney-shaped  or  hooded  petals,  with  short  claws.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. 
— One.  Fruit. — Bluish;  berry-like. 

In  the  deep  rich  woods  of  early  spring,  especially  somewhat 
westward,  may  be  found  the  smooth,  purplish  stem,  divided 
leaves,  and  clustered  green  or  purplish  flowers  of  the  blue  cohosh. 
The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  stem  and 
leafy  "the  stems  seeming  to  form  a  stalk  for  the  great  leaf." 
(Gray.) 

EARLY  MEADOW   RUE. 

Thalictrum  dioicum.     Crowfoot  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  many  smooth,  lobed,  pale 
drooping  leaflets.  Flowers. — Purplish  and  greenish ;  unisexual.  Calyx. — 
Of  four  or  five  petal-like  sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Indefinite 
in  number ;  with  linear  yellowish  anthers  drooping  on  hair-like  filaments 
(stamens  and  pistils  occurring  on  different  plants).  Pistils. — Four  to  four- 
teen. 

The  graceful  drooping  foliage  of  this  plant  is  perhaps  more 
noticeable  than  the  small  flowers  which  appear  in  the  rocky 
woods  in  April  or  May. 

110 


GREEN 


SWAMP  SAXIFRAGE. 

Saxifraga  Pennsylvania.     Saxifrage  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Four  to  eight  inches  long ;  obscurely 
toothed;  narrowed  at  base  into  a  broad  short  stem.  Flowers. — Small; 
greenish  or  reddish ;  in  a  large  cluster.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

In  boggy  meadows  and  along  water-courses  this  plant  is  con- 
spicuous in  spring.  Oftentimes  its  leaf-stalks  as  well  as  its  flowers 
are  noticeably  tinged  with  red. 


BITTER-SWEET.    WAX-WORK. 

Celastrus  scandens.     Staff-tree  Family. 

Stem. — Woody;  twining.  Leaves. — Alternate  ;  oblong ;  finely  toothed  ; 
pointed.  Flowers. — Small ;  greenish  or  cream-color  ;  in  raceme-like  clusters  ; 
appearing  in  June.  Pod. — Orange-colored  ;  globular  and  berry-like  ;  curl- 
ing back  in  three  divisions  when  ripe  so  as  to  display  the  scarlet  covering  ot 
the  seeds  within. 

The  small  flowers  of  the  bitter-sweet,  which  appear  in  June, 
rarely  attract  attention.  But  in  October  no  lover  of  color  can 
fail  to  admire  the  deep  orange  pods  which  at  last  curl  back  so  as 
advantageously  to  display  the  brilliant  scarlet  covering  of  the 
seeds.  Perhaps  we  have  no  fruit  which  illuminates  more  vividly 
the  roadside  thicket  of  late  autumn  ;  or  touches  with  greater 
warmth  those  tumbled,  overgrown  walls  which  are  so  picturesque 
a  feature  in  parts  of  the  country,  and  do  in  a  small  way  for  our 
quiet  landscapes  what  vine-covered  ruins  accomplish  for  the 
scenery  of  the  Old  World. 


tft 


m 

YELLOW 

[Yellow  or  occasionally  Yellow  Flowers  not  described  in  Yellow 

Section.] 

Fragrant  Woodbine.      Lonicera  grata.     May.     (Red  Section,  p.  269.) 


MARSH  MARIGOLD. 

Caltha  palustris.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Hollow;  furrowed.  Leaves. — Rounded;  somewhat  kidney, 
shaped.  Flowers. — Golden-yellow.  Calyx. — Of  five  to  nine  petal-like 
sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five  to  ten  ; 
almost  without  styles. 

"  Hark,  hark  !  the  lark  at  heaven's  gate  sings, 

And  Phcebus  'gins  arise, 
His  steeds  to  water  at  those  springs 

On  chalic'd  flowers  that  lies ; 
And  winking  Mary-buds  begin 

To  ope  their  golden  eyes  ; 
With  everything  that  pretty  is— 

My  lady  sweet,  arise  ! 

Arise,  arise. ' ' —  Cymbeline. 

We  claim — and  not  without  authority — that  these  "  winking 
Mary-buds"  are  identical  with  the  gay  marsh  marigolds  which 
border  our  springs  and  gladden  our  wet  meadows  every  April. 
There  are  those  who  assert  that  the  poet  had  in  mind  the  garden 
marigold — Calendula — but  surely  no  cultivated  flower  could  har- 
monize with  the  spirit  of  the  song  as  do  these  gleaming  swamp 
blossoms.  We  will  yield  to  the  garden  if  necessary — 

"  The  marigold  that  goes  to  bed  with  the  sun 
And  with  him  rises  weeping — " 
122 


PLATE   U 


MARSH    MARIGOLD.— Caltha  palustrit. 

123 


YELLOW 

of  the  "  Winter's  Tale,"  but  insist  on  retaining  for  that  larger, 
lovelier  garden  in  which  we  all  feel  a  certain  sense  of  possession 
— even  if  we  are  not  taxed  on  real  estate  in  any  part  of  the  coun- 
try— the  "  golden  eyes  "  of  the  Mary-bud  ;  and  we  feel  strength- 
ened in  our  position  by  the  statement  in  Mr.  Robinson's  "  Wild 
Garden ' '  that  the  marsh  marigold  is  so  abundant  along  certain 
English  rivers  as  to  cause  the  ground  to  look  as  though  paved 
with  gold  at  those  seasons  when  they  overflow  their  banks. 

These  flowers  are  peddled  about  our  streets  every  spring 
under  the  name  of  cowslips — a  title  to  which  they  have  no 
claim,  and  which  is  the  result  of  that  reckless  fashion  of  christen- 
ing unrecognized  flowers  which  is  so  prevalent,  and  which  is  re- 
sponsible for  so  much  confusion  about  their  English  names. 

The  plant  is  a  favorite  "  pot-herb  "  with  country  people,  far 
superior,  I  am  told,  to  spinach ;  the  young  flower-buds  also  are 
considered  palatable. 

The  derivation  of  marigold  is  somewhat  obscure.  In  the 
"  Grete  Herball "  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  flower  is  spoken 
of  as  Mary  Gowles,  and  by  the  early  English  poets  as  gold  sim- 
ply. As  the  first  part  of  the  word  might  be  derived  from  the 
Anglo-Saxon  mere — a  marsh,  it  seems  possible  that  the  entire 
name  may  signify  marsh-gold,  which  would  be  an  appropriate 
and  poetic  title  for  this  shining  flower  of  the  marshes. 


SPICE-BUSH.    BENJAMIN-BUSH.     FEVER-BUSH. 

Lindera  Benzoin.      Laurel  Family. 

An  aromatic  shrub  from  six  to  fifteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong; 
pale  underneath.  Flowers. — Appearing  before  the  leaves  in  March  or  April; 
honey-yellow;  borne  in  clusters  which  are  composed  of  smaller  clusters, 
surrounded  by  an  involucre  of  four  early  falling  scales.  Fruit. — Red; 
berry-like ;  somewhat  pear-shaped. 

These  are  among  the  very  earliest  blossoms  to  be  found  in 
the  moist  woods  of  spring.  During  the  Revolution  the  pow- 
dered berries  were  used  as  a  substitute  for  allspice ;  while  at  the 
time  of  the  Rebellion  the  leaves  served  as  a  substitute  for  tea. 

124 


PLATE   Lh 


SPICE-BUSH.-Z/«^m  Benzoin. 
125 


YELLOW 

YELLOW  ADDER'S  TONGUE.     DOG'S  TOOTH  VIOLET. 

Erythronium  Americanum.     Lily  Family. 

Scape. — Six  to  nine  inches  high  ;  one-flowered.  Leaves. — Two  ;  ob- 
long-lance-shaped;  pale  green  mottled  with  purple  and  white.  Flowers. — 
Rather  large ;  pale  yellow  marked  with  purple  ;  nodding.  Perianth. — Of 
six  recurved  or  spreading  sepals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

The  white  blossoms  of  the  shad-bush  gleam  from  the  thicket, 
and  the  sheltered  hill-side  is  already  starred  with  the  blood -root 
and  anemone  when  we  go  to  seek  the  yellow  adder's  tongue. 
We  direct  our  steps  toward  one  of  those  hollows  in  the  wood 
which  is  watered  by  such  a  clear  gurgling  brook  as  must  appeal 
to  every  country-loving  heart ;  and  there  where  the  pale  April 
sunlight  filters  through  the  leafless  branches,  nod  myriads  of 
these  lilies,  each  one  guarded  by  a  pair  of  mottled,  erect,  senti- 
nel-like leaves. 

The  two  English  names  of  this  plant  are  unsatisfactory  and 
inappropriate.  If  the  marking  of  its  leaves  resembles  the  skin 
of  an  adder  why  name  it  after  its  tongue  ?  And  there  is  equal- 
ly little  reason  for  calling  a  lily  a  violet.  Mr.  Burroughs  has 
suggested  two  pretty  and  significant  names.  "  Fawn  lily,"  he 
thinks,  would  be  appropriate,  because  a  fawn  is  also  mottled, 
and  because  the  two  leaves  stand  up  with  the  alert,  startled  look 
of  a  fawn's  ears.  The  speckled  foliage  and  perhaps  its  flowering 
season  are  indicated  in  the  title  ''trout-lily,"  which  has  a 
spring-like  flavor  not  without  charm.  It  is  said  that  the  early 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania  named  the  flower  "  yellow  snowdrop," 
in  memory  of  their  own  "harbinger  of  spring." 

The  white  adder's  tongue,  E.  albidum,  is  a  species  which  is 
usually  found  somewhat  westward. 


126 


PLATE  till 


YELLOW  ADDER'S  TONGUE.—  Erythronium  Americanum. 


YELLOW 


COLTSFOOT. 

Tussilago  Farfara.     Composite  Family. 

Scape. — Slender,  scaly,  three  to  eighteen  inches  high,  bearing  a  solitary 
large  flower-head.  Leaves. — Appearing  later  than  the  flowers,  heart- 
shaped  below,  "  angulately-lobed, "  woolly  beneath.  Flower-head. — Bright 
yellow,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers,  appearing  in  early  spring 
before  the  leaves. 

The  coltsfoot  is  an  immigrant  from  Europe  which  is  now 
thoroughly  wild  in  this  country.  For  some  years  before  I  had 
succeeded  in  seeing  the  plant  in  flower  I  had  noticed  colonies  of 
its  lobed,  heart-shaped  leaves  growing  in  moist  ditches  and 
along  the  banks  or  in  the  beds  of  streams.  But  my  efforts  to 
discover  the  name  or  blossom  of  the  plant  which  sent  up  these 
conspicuous  leaves  were  unsuccessful  till  one  early  May  when,  on 
the  banks  of  a  stream  in  Berkshire,  I  chanced  upon  a  bright 
yellow  flower-head,  looking  something  like  a  dandelion  with  its 
heart  plucked  out,  topping  a  leafless,  scaly-bracted  scape.  I  iden- 
tified this  as  the  coltsfoot,  connecting  it  with  the  puzzling  leaves 
only  by  means  of  the  botanical  descriptions. 

This  is  a  common  plant  in  England,  yielding  what  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  remedy  for  coughs. 


CELANDINE   POPPY. 

Stylophorum  diphyllum.     Poppy  Family. 

Stem. — Low  ;  two-leaved.  Stem-leaves. — Opposite  ;  deeply  incised. 
Root-leaves. — Incised  or  divided.  Flowers. — Deep-yellow;  large;  one  or 
more  at  the  summit  of  the  stem.  Calyx. — Of  two  hairy  sepals.  Corolla. — 
Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Many.  Pistil. — One;  with  a  two  or  four- 
lobed  stigma. 

In  April  or  May,  somewhat  south  and  westward,  the  woods 
are  brightened,  and  occasionally  the  hill-sides  are  painted  yel- 
low, by  this  handsome  flower.  In  both  flower  and  foliage  the 
plant  suggests  the  celandine. 


127 


YELLOW 

WOOD  BETONY.    LOUSEWORT. 

Pedicularis  Canadensis.     Figwort  Family. 

Stems. — Clustered  ;  five  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — The  lower 
ones  deeply  incised  ;  the  upper  less  so.  Flowers. — Yellow  and  red  ;  grow- 
ing in  a  short  dense  spike.  Calyx. — Of  one  piece  split  in  front.  Corolla. — 
Two-lipped ;  the  narrow  upper  lip  arched,  the  lower  three-lobed.  Stamens. 
—  Four.  Pistil. — One. 

The  bright  flowers  of  the  wood  betony  are  found  in  our  May 
woods,  often  in  the  company  of  the  columbine  and  yellow  vio- 
let. Near  Philadelphia  they  are  said  to  be  among  the  very  ear- 
liest of  the  flowers,  coming  soon  after  the  trailing  arbutus.  In 
the  later  year  the  plant  attracts  attention  by  its  uncouth  spikes 
of  brown  seed-pods. 

Few  wayside  weeds  have  been  accredited  with  greater  virtue 
than  the  ancient  betony,  which  a  celebrated  Roman  physician 
claimed  could  cure  forty-seven  different  disorders.  The  Roman 
proverb,  ' '  Sell  your  coat  and  buy  betony, ' '  seems  to  imply  that 
the  plant  did  not  flourish  so  abundantly  along  the  Appian  Way 
as  it  does  by  our  American  roadsides.  Unfortunately  we  are 
reluctantly  forced  to  believe  once  more  that  our  native  flower  is 
not  identical  with  the  classic  one,  but  that  it  has  received  its 
common  name  through  some  superficial  resemblance  to  the  origi- 
nal betony  or  Betonica. 


SOLOMON'S  SEAL. 

Polygonatum  biflorum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem.— Slender  ;  curving  ;  one  to  three  feet  long.  Leaves. — Alternate  ; 
oval;  set  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers. — Yellowish;  bell-shaped;  nodding 
from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Perianth. — Six-lobed  at  the  summit.  Stamens. 
— Six.  Pistil. — One.  Frttit. — A  dark  blue  berry. 

The  graceful  leafy  stems  of  the  Solomon's  seal  are  among  the 
most  decorative  features  of  our  spring  woods.  The  small  blos- 
soms which  appear  in  May  grow  either  singly  or  in  clusters  on  a 
flower-stalk  which  is  so  fastened  into  the  axil  of  each  leaf  that 

128 


PLATE  LIV 


WOOD  BETONY.—  Pedicularis  Canadensis. 


PLATE  LV 


Rootstock. 


SOLOMON'S 


biflorum. 


1*9 


YELLOW 

they  droop  beneath,  forming  a  curve  of  singular  grace  which  is 
sustained  in  later  summer  by  the  dark  blue  berries. 

The  larger  species,  P.  giganteum,  grows  to  a  height  of  from 
two  to  seven  feet,  blossoming  in  the  meadows  and  along  the 
streams  in  June. 

The  common  name  was  suggested  by  the  rootstocks,  which 
are  marked  with  large  round  scars  left  by  the  death  and  separa- 
tion of  the  base  of  the  stout  stalks  of  the  previous  years.  These 
scars  somewhat  resemble  the  impression  of  a  seal  upon  wax. 

The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  many 
and  knee,  alluding  to  the  numerous  joints  of  the  rootstock. 


GOLDEN  CORYDALIS. 

Corydalis  aurea.      Fumitory  Family. 

Smooth,  six  to  fourteen  inches  high,  branching.  Leaves. — Finely  dis- 
sected. Flowers. — Bright  yellow,  about  one-half  inch  long.  Calyx. — Of 
two  small  sepals.  Corolla. — Flattened,  closed,  with  spur  one-half  or  more 
as  long  as  body  of  corolla,  outer  petals  keeled.  Fruit. — A  many- seeded 
pod. 

The  golden  corydalis  is  found  flowering  in  the  rocky  woods 
from  March  till  May. 


EARLY  CROWFOOT. 

Ranunculus  septentrionalis.      Crowfoot  Family. 

Stems. — Sometimes  upright ;  again  trailing  along  the  ground  and  form- 
ing runners.  Leaves. — Three-divided  ;  the  divisions  often  unequally  cleft. 
Flowers. — Bright  yellow;  somewhat  resembling  buttercups.  Calyx. — Of 
five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Indefinite  in  number. 
Pistils. — Numerous,  in  a  head. 

Although  it  may  be  found  in  blossom  until  August,  it  is  es- 
pecially in  spring  that  the  wet  woods  and  meadows  are  bright 
with  the  flowers  of  the  early  crowfoot.  Until  we  look  closely  at 
the  plant  we  are  apt  to  confound  it  with  its  kinsmen  the  butter- 
cups,  but  a  look  at  its  longish  petals  alone  will  show  us  our  error, 

130 


PLATE   LVf 


Fruit. 


Oakesia  setsilifoli*. 


Uvularia  ferftKat*. 


§ELLWORT 


YELLOW 


Another  and  even  earlier  species  of  the  crowfoot  is  R.fascicu- 
laris.  This  is  especially  plentiful  along  the  hillsides.  Its  roots 
are  a  cluster  of  thick  fleshy  fibres. 


BELLWORT. 

[PI.  LVI 

Oakesia  sessilifolia.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Acutely  angled  ;  rather  low.  Leaves. — Set  close  to  or  clasping 
the  stem  ;  pale  ;  lance-oblong.  Flower. — Yellowish  or  straw-color.  Peri- 
anth.— Narrowly  bell-shaped ;  divided  into  six  distinct  sepals.  Stamens. 
— Six.  Pistil.— One,  with  a  deeply  three-cleft  style. 

In  spring  this  little  plant  is  very  abundant  in  the  woods. 
It  bears  one  or  two  small  lily-like  blossoms  which  droop  mod- 
estly beneath  the  curving  stems. 

With  the  same  common  name  and  near  of  kin  is  Uwlaria 
perfoliata,  with  leaves  which  seem  pierced  by  the  stem,  but 
otherwise  of  a  strikingly  similar  aspect. 


LEATHER-WOOD.     MOOSE-WOOD. 

Dirca  palustris.     Mezereum  Family. 

A  shrub  two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oval  or  obovate.  Flowers. — 
Light  yellow,  appearing  before  the  leaves,  small.  Calyx. — Corolla-like, 
yellow,  funnel-shaped,  with  wavy  or  obscurely  four-toothed  border.  Corolla. 
—None.  Stamens.— Eight,  long  and  slender,  protruding.  Pistil.— One, 
with  a  long,  thread-like  style.  Fruit. — Oval,  reddish,  about  one-half  inch 
long. 

In  April,  while  making  our  careful  way  through  some  wet 
thicket,  we  notice  a  leafless  shrub  with  bunches  of  insignificant 
yellow  blossoms  and  a  bark  so  tough  that  we  find  it  almost 
impossible  to  break  off  a  branch.  This  is  the  "leather-wood" 
used  for  thongs  by  the  Indians.  It  is  known  also  as  "moose- 
wood."  The  leaves  appear  later  and  finally  the  reddish  oval 
fruit. 


132 


YELLOW 


EARLY   MEADOW   PARSNIP. 

Zizia  aurea.    Parsley  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice-compound ;  leaflets 
oblong  to  lance-shaped ;  toothed.  Flowers. — Yellow;  small;  in  com- 
pound umbels. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  Parsley  family 
to  appear.  Its  golden  flower-clusters  brighten  the  damp  mead- 
ows and  the  borders  of  streams  in  May  or  June,  and  closely 
resemble  the  meadow  parsnip,  Thaspium  aureum,  of  which 
this  species  was  formerly  considered  a  variety,  of  the  later 
year. 

The  tall,  stout,  common  wild  parsnip,  Pastinaca  saliva,  is 
another  yellow  representative  of  this  family  in  which  white 
flowers  prevail,  the  three  plants  here  mentioned  being  the  only 
yellow  species  commonly  encountered.  The  common  parsnip 
may  be  identified  by  its  grooved  stem  and  simply  compound 
leaves.  Its  roots  have  been  utilized  for  food  at  least  since  the 
reign  of  Tiberius,  for  Pliny  tells  us  that  that  Emperor  brought 
them  to  Rome  from  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  where  they  were 
successfully  cultivated. 


DOWNY   YELLOW   VIOLET. 

Viola  pubescens.    Violet  Family. 

Stems. — Leafy  above  ;  erect.  Leaves. — Broadly  heart-shaped  ;  toothed. 
Flowers. — Yellow,  veined  with  purple ;  otherwise  much  like  those  of  the 
common  blue  violet. 

"When  beechen  buds  begin  to  swell, 

And  woods  the  blue-bird's  warble  know, 
The  yellow  violet's  modest  bell 

Peeps  from  the  last  year's  leaves  below," 

sings  Bryant,  in  his  charming,  but  not  strictly  accurate  poem, 
for  the  chances  are  that  the  " beechen  buds"  have  almost  burst 
into  foliage,  and  that  the  "blue-bird's  warble"  has  been  heard 

133 


YELLOW 

for  some  time  when  these  pretty  flowers  begin  to  dot  the 
woods. 

The  lines  which  run  : 

"  Yet  slight  thy  form,  and  low  thy  seat, 
And  earthward  bent  thy  gentle  eye, 
Unapt  the  passing  view  to  meet, 

When  loftier  flowers  are  flaunting  nigh," 

would  seem  to  apply  more  correctly  to  the  round-leaved  V.  ro- 
tundifolia,*  than  to  the  downy  violet,  for  although  its  large,  flat 
shining  leaves  are  somewhat  conspicuous,  its  flowers  are  borne 
singly  on  a  low  scape,  which  would  be  less  apt  to  attract  notice 
than  the  tall,  leafy  flowering  stems  of  the  other. 


GOLDEN  CLUB. 

Orontium  aquaticum.      Arum  Family. 

Scape. — Slender;  elongated.  Leaves. — Long-stalked;  oblong;  floating. 
Flowers. — Small;  yellow;  crowded  over  the  narrow  spike  or  spadix. 

When  we  go  to  the  bogs  in  May  to  hunt  for  the  purple  flower 
of  the  pitcher -plant  we  are  likely  to  chance  upon  the  well-named 
golden  club.  This  curious-looking  club-shaped  object,  which  is 
found  along  the  borders  of  ponds,  indicates  its  relationship  to 
the  Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  and  still  more  to  the  calla-lily,  but 
unlike  them  its  tiny  flowers  are  shielded  by  no  protecting 
spathe. 

Kalm  tells  us  in  his  "  Travels,"  "that  the  Indians  called 
the  plant  Taw-Kee,  and  used  its  dried  seeds  as  food." 

*  I  find  the  round- leaved  violet  blossoming  so  early  in  the  year  as  to  make  it 
seem  probable  that  this  species  is  the  subject  df  Bryant's  poem. 


PLATE  LVII 


CYNTHIA.  —Krigia  Virginica. 


FLY   HONEYSUCKLE. 

Lonicera  ciliata.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  bushy  shrub  three  to  five  feet  high,  with  straggling  branches.  Leaves. 
— Opposite,  entire,  oblong-ovate,  often  heart-shaped,  thin,  with  thread-like 
leaf  stems.  Flowers. — Yellow,  growing  in  pairs  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx. — Slightly  five-toothed,  the  teeth  not  persistent.  Corolla. — 
Funnel-formed,  almost  spurred  at  base,  with  five  lobes.  Stamens. —  Five. 
Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  red  berry,  growing  close  to,  but  distinct  from  the 
berry  of  sister  flower. 

In  the  moist,  rocky  woods  of  early  May  we  find  the  yellow 
twin  blossoms  of  the  fly  honeysuckle. 


CYNTHIA.     DWARF  DANDELION. 

[PI.  LVII 
Krigia  Virginica.     Composite  Family. 

Stems. — Usually  becoming  branched  and  leafy.  (In  K.  amplexicaulis,  a 
very  similar  species,  there  are  from  one  to  three  stem-leaves  only.)  Root- 
leaves. — Usually  somewhat  lyre-shaped,  or  toothed.  Stem-leaves. — Earlier 
ones  roundish,  not  toothed  ;  later  ones  narrower,  and  often  deeply  toothed 
or  cleft.  Flower- heads. — Deep  orange-yellow  ;  dandelion-like  ;  composed 
entirely  of  strap-shaped  flowers. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country  the  blossoms  of  the  cynthia  are 
among  the  earliest  to  appear,  while  in  other  localities  they  are 
especially  abundant  and  conspicuous  in  June. 

The  smooth,  pale-green  stems  of  K.  amplexicaulis  bear  but 
few  leaves.  » 

The  cynthias  are  often  confused  with  the  hawkweeds. 


CELANDINE. 

Chelidonium  majus.     Poppy  Family. 

Stem. — Brittle  ;  with  saffron-colored,  acrid  juice.  Leaves. — Compound 
or  divided  ;  toothed  or  cut.  Flowers. — Yellow  ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Of 
two  sepals  falling  early.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Sixteen  to 
twenty-four.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma.  Pod. — Slender ;  linear. 

The  name  of  celandine  must  always  suggest  the  poet  who 
never  seemed  to  weary  of  writing  in  its  honor : 

"  Pansies,  lilies,  kingcups,  daisies, 
Let  them  live  upon  their  praises ; 

135 


YELLOW 

Long  as  there's  a  sun  that  sets, 
Primroses  will  have  their  glory; 
Long  as  there  are  violets, 
They  will  have  a  place  in  story ; 
There's  a  flower  that  shall  be  mine, 
Tis  the  little  celandine." 

And  when  certain  yellow  flowers  which  frequent  the  village  road- 
side are  pointed  out  to  us  as  those  of  the  celandine,  we  feel  a 
sense  of  disappointment  that  the  favorite  theme  of  Wordsworth 
should  arouse  within  us  so  little  enthusiasm.  So  perhaps  we  are 
rather  relieved  than  otherwise  to  realize  that  the  botanical  name 
of  this  plant  signifies  greater  celandine ;  for  we  remember  that 
the  poet  never  failed  to  specify  the  small  celandine  as  the  object 
of  his  praise.  The  small  celandine  is  Ranunculus  Jlcaria,  one 
of  the  Crowfoot  family,  and  is  only  found  in  this  country  as  an 
escape  from  gardens. 

Gray  tells  us  that  the  generic  name,  Chelidonium,  from  the 
ancient  Greek  for  swallow,  was  given  "because  its  flowers  ap- 
pear with  the  swallows ;  ' '  but  if  we  turn  to  Gerarde  we  read 
that  the  title  was  not  bestowed  "  because  it  first  springeth  at  the 
coming  in  of  the  swallows,  or  dieth  when  they  go  away,  for  as 
we  have  saide,  it  may  be  founde  all  the  yeare,  but  because  some 
holde  opinion,  that  with  this  herbe  the  dams  restore  sight  to  their 
young  ones,  when  their  eies  be  put  out.'* 


Clintonia  borealis.     Lily  Family. 

Scape, — Five  to  eight  inches  high ;  sheathed  at  its  base  by  the  stalks  of 
two  to  four  large,  oblong,  conspicuous  leaves.  Flowers. — Greenish-yellow; 
rarely  solitary.  Perianth. — Of  six  sepals.  Stamens. — Six;  protruding. 
Pistil. — One;  protruding.  Fruit. — A  blue  berry. 

When  rambling  through  the  cool,  moist  woods  our  attention 
is  often  attracted  by  patches  of  great  dark,  shining  leaves  ;  and 
if  it  be  late  in  the  year  we  long  to  know  the  flower  of  which  this 
rich  foliage  is  the  setting.  To  satisfy  our  curiosity  we  must 
return  the  following  May  or  June,  when  we  shall  probably  find 

136 


PLATE    LVIII 


* 


Clintcnia  borealis. 


YELLOW 

that  a  slender  scape  rises  from  its  midst  bearing  at  its  summit 
several  yellowish,  bell-shaped  flowers. 

C.  umbellata  is  a  more  southern  species,  with  smaller  white 
flowers,  which  are  speckled  with  green  or  purplish  dots. 

GOLDEN   RAGWORT.      SQUAW-WEED. 

Senecio  aureus.      Composite  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  three  feet  high.  Root-leaves. — Rounded;  the  larger 
ones  mostly  heart-shaped  ;  toothed,  and  long-stalked.  Stem-leaves. — The 
lower  lyre-shaped  ;  the  upper  lance- shaped;  incised;  set  close  to  the  stem. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow;-  clustered  ;  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

A  child  would  perhaps  liken  the  flower  of  the  golden  ragwort 
to  a  yellow  daisy.  Stain  yellow  the  white  rays  of  the  daisy,  di- 
minish the  size  of  the  whole  head  somewhat,  and  you  have  a 
pretty  good  likeness  of  the  ragwort.  There  need  be  little  diffi- 
culty in  the  identification  of  this  plant — although  there  are  sev- 
eral marked  varieties — for  its  flowers  are  abundant  in  the  early 
year,  at  which  season  but  few  members  of  the  Composite  family 
are  abroad. 

The  generic  name  is  from  senex — an  old  man — alluding  to 
the  silky  down  of  the  seeds,  which  is  supposed  to  suggest  the 
silvery  hairs  of  age. 

Closely  allied  to  the  golden  ragwort  is  the  common  ground- 
sel,  5.  vulgarts,  which  is  given  as  food  to  caged  birds.  The 
flower-heads  of  this  species  are  without  rays. 


YELLOW     LADY'S      SLIPPER.      WHIP  -  POOR  -  WILL'S 

SHOE. 

[PI.  LXI 

Cypripedium  pubescens.     Orchis  Family. 

Stem. — About  two  feet  high ;  downy;  leafy  to  the  top;  one  to  three- 
flowered.  Leaves. — Alternate;  broadly  oval;  many-nerved  and  plaited. 
Flower. — Large  ;  the  pale  yellow  lip  an  inflated  pouch  ;  the  two  lateral 
petals  long  and  narrow  ;  wavy-twisted  ;  brownish. 

The  yellow  lady's  slipper  usually  blossoms  in  May  or  June, 
a  few  days  later  than  its  pink  sister,  C.  acaule.     Regarding  its 

138 


PLATE   LIX 


GOLDEN   RAGWORT.— Senecio  aureus. 
139 


yELLOW 

favorite  haunts,  Mr.  Baldwin*  says:  «« Its  preference  is  for 
maples,  beeches,  and  particularly  butternuts,  and  for  sloping  or 
hilly  ground,  and  I  always  look  with  glad  suspicion  at  a  knoll 
covered  with  ferns,  cohoshes,  and  trilliums,  expecting  to  see  a 
clump  of  this  plant  among  them.  Its  sentinel-like  habit  of 
choosing  '  sightly  places  '  leads  it  to  venture  well  up  on  moun- 
tain sides." 

The  long,  wavy,  brownish  petals  give  the  flower  an  alert, 
startled  look  when  surprised  in  its  lonely  hiding-places. 

C.  panriflorum,  the  small  yellow  lady's  slipper,  differs  from 
C.  pubescens  in  the  superior  richness  of  its  color  as  well  as  in  its 
size.  It  has  also  the  charm  of  fragrance. 

YELLOW  SWEET  CLOVER.  YELLOW  MELILOT. 

Melilotus  officinalis.     Pulse  Family. 

Two  to  four  feet  high.  Stem.— Upright.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three 
toothed  leaflets.  Flowers.  —  Papilionaceous;  yellow;  growing  in  spike-like 
racemes. 

This  plant  is  found  blossoming  along  the  roadsides  in  sum- 
mer. It  was  formerly  called  in  England  "  king's-clover,"  be- 
cause as  Parkinson  writes,  "  the  yellowe  flowers  doe  crown  the 
top  of  the  stalks."  The  leaves  become  fragrant  in  drying. 

INDIAN  CUCUMBER-ROOT. 

Medeola  Virginiana.    Lily  Family. 

.#0<7/.— Tuberous  ;  shaped  somewhat  like  a  cucumber,  with  a  suggestion 
of  its  flavor.  Stem. — Slender  ;  from  one  to  three  feet  high  ;  at  first  clothed 
with  wool.  r.eavfs.—In  two  whorls  on  the  flowering  plants;  the  lower  of 
five  to  nine  oblong,  pointed  leaves  set  close  to  the  stem  ;  the  upper  usually 
of  three  or  four  much  smaller  ones.  Flowers. — Greenish-yellow ;  small ; 
clustered;  recurved;  set  close  to  the  upper  leaves.  Perianth. — Of  three 
sepals  and  three  petals,  oblong  and  alike.  Stamens. —Six  ;  reddish-brown. 
Pistil. — With  three  stigmas  ;  long ;  recurved,  and  reddish-brown.  Fruit. 
— A  purple  berry. 

One  is  more  apt  to  pause  in  September  to  note  the  brilliant 
foliage  and  purple  berries  of  this  little  plant  than  to  gather  the 
*  Orchids  of  New  England. 
140 


PLATE   LX 


Rootstock. 


INDIAN  CUCUttMft-*OOT.«JMMl  Virginian*. 
141 


YELLOW 

drooping  inconspicuous  blossoms  for  his  bunch  of  wood-flowers 
in  June.  The  generic  name  is  after  the  sorceress  Medea,  on  ac- 
count of  its  supposed  medicinal  virtues,  of  which,  however,  there 
seems  to  be  no  record. 

The  tuberous  rootstock  has  the  flavor,  and  something  the 
shape,  of  the  cucumber,  and  was  probably  used  as  food  by  the 
Indians.  It  would  not  be  an  uninteresting  study  to  discover 
which  of  our  common  wild  plants  are  able  to  afford  pleasant  and 
nutritious  food;  in  such  a  pursuit  many  of  the  otherwise  unat- 
tractive popular  names  would  prove  suggestive. 


WINTER  CRESS.  YELLOW  ROCKET.  HERB  OF  ST. 
BARBARA. 

Barbarea  vulgaris.     Mustard  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth.  Leaves. — The  lower  lyre-shaped  ;  the  upper  ovate, 
toothed  or  deeply  incised  at  their  base.  Flowers. — Yellow  ;  growing  in 
racemes.  Pod. — Linear;  erect  or  slightly  spreading. 

As  early  as  May  we  find  the  bright  flowers  of  the  winter- 
cress  along  the  roadside.  This  is  probably  the  first  of  the  yel- 
low mustards  to  appear. 


BLACK   MUSTARD. 

Brassica  nigra.     Mustard  Family. 

Often  several  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — The  lo\ver  witia 
a  large  terminal  lobe  and  a  few  small  lateral  ones.  Flowers. — Yellow  ; 
rather  small ;  growing  in  a  raceme.  Pods. — Smooth;  erect;  appressed; 
about  half  an  inch  long. 

Many  are  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  this  plant  who  are 
ignorant  of  its  name.  The  pale  yellow  flowers  spring  from  the 
waste  places  along  the  roadside  and  border  the  dry  fields  through- 
out the  summer.  The  tall  spreading  branches  recall  the  Biblical 
description:  "It  groweth  up,  and  becometh  greater  than  all 
herbs,  and  shooteth  out  great  branches  ;  so  that  the  fowls  of  the 
air  may  lodge  under  the  shadow  of  it." 

142 


PLATE  LXI 


YELLOW  LADY'S  SLIPPER.—  Cypripedium  pubescens. 


PLATE   LXIl 


RATTLESNAKE-WEED.— Hieracium  venosum. 
143 


YELLOW 

This  plant  is  extensively  cultivated  in  Europe,  its  ground 
seeds  forming  the  well-known  condiment.  The  ancients  used  it 
for  medicinal  purposes.  It  has  come  across  the  water  to  us,  and 
is  a  troublesome  weed  in  many  parts  of  the  country. 

WILD    RADISH. 

Raphanus  Raphani 'strum.     Mustard  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves, — Rough;  lyre-shaped.  Flowers. —  Yel- 
low ;  veiny  ;  turning  white  or  purplish  ;  larger  than  those  of  the  black  mus- 
tard, otherwise  resembling  them.  Pod. — Often  necklace-form  by  constric- 
tion between  the  seeds. 

This  plant  is  a  troublesome  weed  in  many  of  our  fields.  It  is 
the  stock  from  which  the  garden  radish  has  been  raised. 


YELLOW   WATER-CRESS. 

Nasturtium  palustre.     Mustard  Family. 

Erect,  branching,  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Pinnately  parted 
into  oblong,  toothed  lobes.  Flowers. — Yellow,  small,  growing  in  racemes. 
Pod. — Linear  or  oblong,  spreading  or  curved. 

The  yellow  water-cress  is  common  in  wet  places  or  in  shallow 
water  almost  throughout  North  America.  Its  insignificant  yellow 
flowers  are  found  from  May  till  September. 


RATTLESNAKE-WEED.    HAWKWEED. 

[PI.  LXII. 
Hieracium  venosum.     Composite  Family. 

Stem  or  Scape. — One  to  two  feet  high;  naked  or  with  a  single  leaf; 
slender;  forking  above.  Leaves. — From  the  root;  oblong;  often  making 
a  sort  of  flat  rosette  ;  usually  conspicuously  veined  with  purple.  Flower- 
heads. — Yellow  ;  composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped  flowers. 

The  loosely  clustered  yellow  flower-heads  of  the  rattlesnake- 
weed  somewhat  resemble  small  dandelions.  They  abound  in  the 
pine-woods  and  dry,  waste  places  of  early  summer.  The  purple- 
veined  leaves,  whose  curious  markings  give  to  the  plant  its  com- 
mon name,  grow  close  to  the  ground  and  are  supposed  to  be 

144 


efficacious  in  rattlesnake  bites.  Here  again  crops  out  the  old 
"  doctrine  of  signatures,"  for  undoubtedly  this  virtue  has  been 
attributed  to  the  species  solely  on  account  of  the  fancied  re- 
semblance between  its  leaves  and  the  markings  of  the  rattle- 
snake. 

Another  yellow  species  which  is  found  in  the  dry  open  woods 
is  the  rough  hawkweed,  H.  scabrum.  This  plant  may  be  distin- 
guished from  the  rattlesnake-weed  not  only  by  its  unveined 
leaves,  but  by  its  leafy,  rough,  rather  stout  stem.  Its  thick 
flower-stalks,  and  the  involucre  which  surrounds  each  flower- 
head,  are  densely  clothed  with  dark  hairs  (PI.  LXIII). 

The  panicled  hawkweed,  H.  paniculatum,  found  also  in  dry 
woods,  is  usually  smooth  throughout.  Its  leafy  stem  is  branched 
above,  with  slender,  often  drooping  flower-stalks 


DANDELION. 

Taraxacum  officinale.     Composite  Family. 

If  Emerson's  definition  of  a  weed,  as  a  plant  whose  virtues 
have  not  yet  been  discovered,  be  correct,  we  can  hardly  place 
the  dandelion  in  that  category,  for  its  young  sprouts  have  been 
valued  as  a  pot-herb,  its/resh  leaves  enjoyed  as  a  salad,  and  its 
dried  roots  used  as  a  substitute  for  coffee  in  various  countries  and 
ages.  It  is  said  that  the  Apache  Indians  so  greatly  relish  it  as 
food,  that  they  scour  the  country  for  many  days  in  order  to  pro- 
cure enough  to  appease  their  appetites,  and  that  the  quantity 
consumed  by  one  individual  exceeds  belief.  The  feathery- 
tufted  seeds  which  form  the  downy  balls  beloved  as  "  clocks  " 
by  country  children,  are  delicately  and  beautifully  adapted  to 
dissemination  by  the  wind,  which  ingenious  arrangement  partly 
accounts  for  the  plant's  wide  range.  The  common  name  is  a 
corruption  of  the  French  dent  de  lion.  There  is  a  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  which  part  of  the  plant  is  supposed  to  resemble  a 
lion's  tooth.  Some  fancy  the  jagged  leaves  gave  rise  to  the 
name,  while  others  claim  that  it  refers  to  the  yellow  flowers, 


VELLOW 

which  they  liken  to  the  golden  teeth  of  the  heraldic  lion.  In 
nearly  every  European  country  the  plant  bears  a  name  of  similar 
significance. 

ROUGH   CINQUEFOIL. 

Potentilla  Norvegica.     Rose  Family. 

Stout,  rough,  six  inches  to  two  and  one-half  feet  high,  with  many  leafy 
bracts.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  obovate  leaflets.  Flowers. — Yellow, 
in  rather  close,  leafy  clusters.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-cleft,  with  bracts 
between  each  tooth,  thus  appearing  ten-cleft. — Lobes  larger  than  the 
petals  of  corolla.  Corolla. — Small,  of  five  petals.  Stamens  and  pistils. — 
Numerous. 

This  rather  weedy-looking  plant  is  often  common  in  dry  soil, 
flowering  throughout  the  summer. 


COMMON  CINQUEFOIL.     FIVE   FINGER. 

Potentilla  Canadensis.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Slender ;  prostrate,  or  sometimes  erect.  Leaves. — Divided  really 
into  three  leaflets,  but  apparently  into  five  by  the  parting  of  the  lateral  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — Yellow;  growing  singly  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
Calyx. — Deeply  five-cleft,  with  bracts  between  each  tooth,  thus  appearing 
ten-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Many.  Pistils. 
— Many,  in  a  head. 

From  spring  to  nearly  midsummer  the  roads  are  bordered 
and  the  fields  carpeted  with  the  bright  flowers  of  the  common 
cinquefoil.  The  passer-by  unconsciously  betrays  his  recognition 
of  some  of  the  prominent  features  of  the  Rose  family  by  often 
assuming  that  the  plant  is  a  yellow-flowered  wild  strawberry. 
Both  of  the  English  names  refer  to  the  pretty  foliage,  cinquefoil 
being  derived  from  the  French  cinque  feuilles.  The  generic 
name,  Potentilla,  has  reference  to  the  powerful  medicinal  prop 
erties  formerly  attributed  to  the  genus. 


PLATE  LXIII 


ROUGH    HAWKWEED.—  Hieraciun  scabrum. 


PLATE    LXIV 


COMMON   CINQUEFOIL.-/W*«/zV/«  Canadensis. 
147 


SILVER-WEED. 

Potentilla  anserina.     Rose  Family. 

"  Herbaceous,  tufted,  spreading  by  slender  runners  one  to  three  feet 
long."  Leaves.  —  Pinnately  divided  into  seven  to  twenty-five  oblong,  sharply 
toothed  leaflets  which  are  silvery  and  silky  below.  Flowers.  —  Bright  yel- 
low, on  slender,  erect,  solitary  flower-  stalks.  Calyx.  —  Five-cleft,  with 
bracts  between  each  tooth,  thus  appearing  ten-cleft.  Corolla.  —  Of  five 
broadly  oval  or  obovate  petals.  Stamens  and  pistils.  —  Numerous. 

These  bright,  pretty  flowers,  occasionally  mistaken  for  butter- 
cups by  the  unobservant  passer-by,  are  found  throughout  the 
summer  in  wet  marshes  and  along  river  banks  from  New  Jersey 
northward.  For  these  golden-flowered  plants  the  name  "  golden- 
weed  "  would  seem  more  appropriate  than  "  silver-weed."  It  is 
only  when  we  turn  over  the  leaves  and  note  the  downy  under- 
sides of  the  leaflets  that  we  can  reconcile  ourselves  to  the  estab- 
lished title 


SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL.     FIVE  FINGER. 

Potentilla  fruticosa.     Rose  Family. 

Stem.  —  Erect;  shrubby;  one  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves.  —  Divided  into 
five  to  seven  narrow  leaflets.  Flowers.  —  Yellow;  resembling  those  of  the 
common  cinquefoil,  but  larger. 

Of  all  the  cinquefoils  perhaps  this  one  most  truly  merits  the 
title  five  finger.  Certainly  its  slender  leaflets  are  much  more 
finger-like  than  those  of  the  common  cinquefoil.  It  is  not  a 
common  plant  in  most  localities,  but  is  very  abundant  among 
the  Berkshire  Hills,  where  it  takes  entire  possession  of  otherwise 
barren  fields  and  roadsides;  its  peculiarly  bluish-green  foliage 
and  bright  yellow  flowers  (looking  like  buttercups  growing  on  a 
shrub)  arresting  one's  attention  throughout  the  entire  summer 
and  occasionally  late  into  the  autumn. 


14* 


PLA'I'-E    LXt 


YELLOW   WENS-Gtum  strictum. 
I49 


VELLOW 


SILVERY  CINQUEFOIL. 

Pot  en  til  la  argentea.     Rose  Family. 

Stems. — Ascending  ;  branched  at  the  summit ;  white  ;  woolly.  Leaves. 
— Divided  into  five  wedge-oblong,  deeply  incised  leaflets,  which  are  green 
above,  white  with  silvery  wool,  beneath,  flowers. — Much  as  in  above. 

The  silvery  cinquefoil  has  rather  large  yellow  flowers,  which 
are  found  in  dry  fields  throughout  the  summer  as  far  south  as 
New  Jersey. 


YELLOW  AVENS. 

[PI.  LXV 

Geum  strictum.      Rose  Family. 

Somewhat  hairy ;  three  to  five  feet  high.  Stem-leaves. — Divided  into 
from  three  to  five  leaflets.  Flowers.—  Golden  yellow.  Calyx. — Five-cleft; 
usually  with  a  small  bract  between  the  divisions.  Corolla. — Of  five  broad 
petals.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Numerous;  the  latter  enlarging  finally  into 
a  round,  burr-like  head. 

The  bright  flowers  of  the  yellow  avens  are  found  in  the 
moist  meadows  during  the  summer,  finally  giving  way  to  the 
troublesome  burrs  which  so  often  thrust  upon  us  their  unwelcome 
companionship 


BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE. 

Diervilla  trifida.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

An  upright  shrub  from  one  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  ob- 
long; taper-pointed.  Flowers. — Yellow,  sometimes  much  tinged  with  red  ; 
clustered  usually  in  threes  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves  and  at  the  sum- 
mit of  the  stem.  Calyx. — With  slender  awl-shaped  lobes.  Corolla. — Fun- 
nel-form ;  five-lobed  ;  the  lower  lobe  larger  than  the  others  and  of  a  deeper 
yellow,  with  a  small  nectar-bearing  gland  at  its  base.  Stamens. — Five. 
Pistil.—  One. 

This  pretty  little  shrub  is  found  along  our  rocky  hills  and 
mountains.  The  blossoms  appear  in  early  summer,  and  form  a 
good  example  of  nectar-bearing  flowers.  The  lower  lobe  of  the 
Corolla  is  crested  and  more  deeply  colored  than  the  others,  thus 

150 


PLATE   LXV 


BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE.—  Diervitta  ttifida. 


YELLOW 

advising  the  bee  of  secreted  treasure.  The  hairy  filaments  of 
the  stamens  are  so  placed  as  to  protect  the  nectar  from  injury  by 
rain.  When  the  blossom  has  been  despoiled  and  at  the  same 
time  fertilized,  for  the  nectar-seeking  bee  has  probably  deposited 
some  pollen  upon  its  pistil,  the  color  of  the  corolla  changes  from 
a  pale  to  a  deep  yellow,  thus  giving  warning  to  the  insect-world 
that  further  attentions  would  be  useless  to  both  parties. 


POVERTY-GRASS. 

Hudsonia  tomentosa.     Rock-rose  Family. 

"  Bushy,  heath-like  little  shrubs,  seldom  a  foot  high."  (Gray.)  Leaves. 
^-Small  ;  oval  or  narrowly  oblong ;  pressed  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers.  — 
Bright  yellow ;  small ;  numerous  ;  crowded  along  the  upper  part  of  the 
branches.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals,  the  two  outer  much  smaller.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Nine  to  thirty.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  long  and 
slender  style. 

In  early  summer  many  of  the  sand-hills  along  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  are  bright  with  the  yellow  flowers  of  this  hoary  little 
shrub.  It  is  also  found  as  far  south  as  Maryland  and  near  the 
Great  Lakes.  Each  blossom  endures  for  a  single  day  only.  The 
plant's  popular  name  is  due  to  its  economical  habit  of  utilizing 
«andy  unproductive  soil  where  little  else  will  flourish. 


ROCK-ROSE.    FROST-WEED. 

Helianthemum  Canadense.     Rock-rose  Family. 

About  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Set  close  to  the  stem;  simple;  lance- 
oblong.  Flowers. — Of  two  kinds  :  the  earlier,  more  noticeable  ones,  yellow, 
solitary,  about  one  inch  across  ;  the  latter  ones  small  and  clustered,  usually 
without  petals.  Calyx. — (Of  the  petal-bearing  flowers)  of  five  sepals.  Co- 
rolla.— Of  five  early  falling  petals  which  are  crumpled  in  the  bud.  Stamens. 
• — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

These  fragile,  bright-yellow  flowers  are  found  in  gravelly 
places  in  early  summer.  Under  the  influence  of  the  sunshine 
they  open  once  ;  by  the  next  day  their  petals  have  fallen,  and 
their  brief  beauty  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  On  June  lyth  Thoreau 

152 


PLATE   LXVK 


FOUR-LEAVED  LOOSESTRlFE.-Z^W^fc 
*53 


YELLOW 

finds  this  "  broad,  cup-like  flower,  one  of  the  most  delicate  yel- 
low flowers,  with  large  spring-yellow  petals,  and  its  stamens  laid 
one  way." 

In  the  Vale  of  Sharon  a  nearly  allied  rose-colored  species 
abounds.  This  is  believed  by  some  of  the  botanists  who  have 
travelled  in  that  region  to  be  the  rose  of  Sharon  which  Solomon 
has  celebrated. 

The  name  of  frost-weed  has  been  given  to  our  plant  because 
of  the  crystals  of  ice  which  shoot  from  the  cracked  bark  at  the 
base  of  the  stem  in  late  autumn. 


FOUR-LEAVED  LOOSESTRIFE. 

[PI.  LXVII 

Lysimachia  quadrifolia.     Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Narrowly  oblong; 
whorled  in  fours,  fives,  or  sixes.  Flowers. — Yellow,  spotted  or  streaked 
with  red  ;  on  slender,  hair-like  flower-stalks  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
Calyx.  —  Five  or  six-parted.  Corolla. — Very  deeply  five  or  six-parted.  Sta- 
mens.— Four  or  five.  Pistil. — One. 

This  slender  pretty  plant  grows  along  the  roadsides  and  at- 
tracts one's  notice  in  June  by  its  regular  whorls  of  leaves  and 
flowers.  Linnaeus  says  that  this  genus  is  named  after  Lysim- 
achus,  King  of  Sicily.  Loosestrife  is  the  English  for  Lysim- 
achus;  but  whether  the  ancient  superstition  that  the  placing  of 
these  flowers  upon  the  yokes  of  oxen  rendered  the  beasts  gentle 
and  submissive  arose  from  the  peace-suggestive  title  or  from 
other  causes,  I  cannot  discover. 


YELLOW  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lysimachia   strict**     Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high  ;  leafy.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  lance-shaped. 
Flowers. — Small;  yellow;  growing  in  long  clusters.  Calyx,  Corolla, 
etc.,  very  much  as  in  L.  quadrifolia. 

The  bright  clusters  of  the  yellow  loosestrife  shoot  upward 
from  the  marshes,  and  gild  the  brook's  border  from  June  till 
August. 

154 


PLATE   LXV1U 


YELLOW   LOOSESTRIFE.— Lxsimachia  strict*. 


YELLOW 


COW  WHEAT. 

Melampyrum  Americanum.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem.— 'Low  ;  erect  ;  branching.  Leaves. — Opposite ;  lance-shaped. 
Flowers. — Small ;  greenish-yellow  ;  solitary  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves. 
Calyx. — Bell-shaped;  four-cleft.  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  upper  lip  arched  ; 
lower  three-lobed  and  spreading  at  the  apex.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — 
One. 

In  the  open  woods,  from  June  until  September,  we  encounter 
the  pale-yellow  flowers  of  this  rather  insignificant  little  plant. 
The  cow  wheat  was  formerly  cultivated  by  the  Dutch  as  food  for 
cattle.  The  Spanish  name,  Trigo  de  Vaca,  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate a  similar  custom  in  Spain.  The  generic  name,  Melampyrum, 
is  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies  black  wheat,  in  reference  to  the 
appearance  of  the  seeds  of  some  species  when  mixed  with  grain. 
The  flower  would  not  be  likely  to  attract  one's  attention  were 
it  not  exceedingly  common  in  some  parts  of  the  country, 
flourishing  especially  in  our  more  eastern  woodlands. 


SPEARWORT. 

Ranunculus  ambigens.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stems. — One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped; 
mostly  toothed  ;  contracted  into  a  half-clasping  leaf-stalk.  Flower. — Bright 
yellow;  solitary  or  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  to 
seven  oblong  petals.  Stamens. — Indefinite  in  number,  occasionally  few. 
Pistils. — Numerous  in  a  head. 

Many  weeks  after  the  marsh  marigolds  have  passed  away,  just 
such  marshy  places  as  they  affected  are  brightly  flecked  with 
gold.  Wondering,  perhaps,  if  they  can  be  flowering  for  the 
second  time  in  the  season,  we  wade  recklessly  into  the  bog  to 
rescue,  not  the  marsh  marigold,  but  its  near  relation,  the  spear- 
wort,  which  is  still  more  closely  related  to  the  buttercup,  as  a 
little  comparison  of  the  two  flowers  will  show.  This  plant  is 
especially  common  at  the  North. 


PLATE  LXIX 


Steironema  cilzatum. 
157 


YELLOW 


[PI.  LXIX 

Steironema  ciliattim.     Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Erect ;  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  narrowly 
oval ;  on  fringed  leaf-stalks.  Flowers. — Yellow  ;  on  slender  stalks  from  the 
axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-parted.  Corolla. — Deeply  five- 
lobed  ;  wheel-shaped  ;  yellow,  with  a  reddish  centre.  Stamens. — Five. 
Pistil.— One. 

This  plant  is  nearly  akin  to  the  yellow  loosestrifes,  but  un- 
fortunately it  has  no  English  name.  It  abounds  in  low  grounds 
and  thickets,  putting  forth  its  bright  wheel-shaped  blossoms  early 
in  July. 

YELLOW  POND-LILY.    SPATTER  DOCK. 

Nuphar  advena.     Water-lily  Family. 

Leaves. — Floating  or  erect;  roundish  to  oblong ;  with  a  deep  cleft  at 
their  base.  Flowers. — Yellow;  sometimes  purplish;  large;  somewhat 
globular.  Calyx. —  Of  five  or  six  sepals  or  more  ;  yellow  or  green  without. 
Corolla. — Of  numerous  small,  thick,  fleshy  petals  which  are  shorter  than  the 
stamens  and  resemble  them.  Stamens. — Very  numerous.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  disk-like,  many-rayed  stigma. 

Bordering  the  slow  streams  and  stagnant  ponds  from  May 
till  August  may  be  seen  the  yellow  pond-lilies.  These  flowers 
lack  the  delicate  beauty  and  fragrance  of  the  white  water-lilies  ; 
having,  indeed,  either  from  their  odor,  or  appearance,  or  the 
form  of  their  fruit,  won  for  themselves  in  England  the  unpoetic 
title  of  "brandy-bottle."  Owing  to  their  love  of  mud  they 
have  also  been  called  "frog-lilies."  The  Indians  used  their 
roots  for  food. 


PRICKLY  PEAR.     INDIAN  FIG. 

Opuntia  Rafinesquii.      Cactus  Family. 

Flowers. — Yellow;  large;  two  and  a  half  to  three  and  a  half  incnes 
across.  Calyx. — Of  numerous  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  ten  or  twelve  petals. 
Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  numerous  stigmas.  Fruit. — 
Shaped  liked  a  small  pear  ;  often  with  prickles  over  its  surface. 

This  curious  looking  plant  is  one  of  the  only  two  representa- 
tives of  the  Cactus  family  in  the  Northeastern  States.     It  has 

158 


YELLOW 

deep  green,  fleshy,  prickly,  rounded  joints  and  large  yellow 
flowers,  which  are  often  conspicuous  in  summer  in  dry,  sandy 
places  along  the  coast. 

O.  vulgaris,  the  only  other  species  found  in  Northeastern 
America,  has  somewhat  smaller  flowers,  but  otherwise  so  closely 
resembles  O.  Rafinesquii  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  two. 

COMMON  BARBERRY. 

Berberis  vulgaris.     Barberry  Family. 

A  shrub.  Leaves. — Oblong ;  toothed ;  in  clusters  from  the  axil  of  a 
thorn.  Flower. — Yellow  ;  in  drooping  racemes.  Calyx, — Of  six  sepals, 
with  from  two  to  six  bractlets  without.  Corolla. — Of  six  petals.  Stamens. 
—  Six.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — An  oblong  scarlet  berry. 

This  European  shrub  has  now  become  thoroughly  wild  and 
very  plentiful  in  parts  of  New  England.  The  drooping  yellow 
flowers  of  May  and  June  are  less  noticeable  than  the  oblong 
clustered  berries  of  September,  which  light  up  so  many  over- 
grown lanes,  and  often  decorate  our  lawns  and  gardens  as  well. 

The  ancients  extracted  a  yellow  hair-dye  from  the  barberry ; 
and  to-day  it  is  used  to  impart  a  yellow  color  to  wool.  Both  its 
common  and  botanical  names  are  of  Arabic  origin. 

YELLOW  STAR-GRASS. 

Hypoxis  erecta.      Amaryllis  Family. 

Scapes. — Slender;  few-flowered.  Leaves. — Linear;  grass-like;  hairy. 
Flowers. — Yellow.  Perianth. — Six-parted;  spreading;  the  divisions  hairy 
and  greenish  outside,  yellow  within.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

When  our  eyes  fall  upon  what  looks  like  a  bit  of  evening  sky 
set  with  golden  stars,  but  which  proves  to  be  only  a  piece  of 
shaded  turf  gleaming  with  these  pretty  flowers,  we  recall  Long- 
fellow's musical  lines : 

"  Spake  full  well  in  language  quaint  and  olden, 

One  who  dwelleth  on  the  castled  Rhine, 
When  he  called  the  flowers  so  blue  and  golden, 
Stars,  which  in  earth's  firmament  do  shine." 


YELLOW 


The  plant  grows  abundantly  in  open  woods  and  meadow* 
flowering  in  early  summer. 


WILD  INDIGO. 

Baptisia  tinctoria.     Pulse  Family. 

Two  or  three  feet  high.  Stems. — Smooth  and  slender.  Leaves. — Di- 
vided  into  three  rounded  leaflets ;  somewhat  pale  with  a  whitish  bloom ; 
turning  black  in  drying.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous  ;  yellow  ;  clustered  in 
many  short,  loose  racemes. 

This  rather  bushy-looking,  bright- flowered  plant  is  constant- 
ly encountered  in  midsummer  in  our  rambles  throughout  the 
somewhat  dry  and  sandy  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  said  that  it 
is  found  in  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  that  it  has  been 
used  as  a  homoeopathic  remedy  for  typhoid  fever.  Its  young 
shoots  are  eaten  at  times  in  place  of  asparagus.  Both  the  botan- 
ical and  common  names  refer  to  its  having  yielded  an  economi- 
cal but  unsuccessful  substitute  for  indigo. 


YELLOW  CLOVER.  HOP  CLOVER. 

Trifolium  agrarium.     Pulse  Family. 

Six  to  twelve  inches  high.     Leaves. — Divided  into  three  oblong  leaflets. 
Flowers. — Papilionaceous  ;  yellow  ;   small ;  in  close  heads. 

Although  this  little  plant  is  found  in  such  abundance  along 
our  New  England  roadsides  and  in  many  other  parts  of  the 
country  as  well,  comparatively  few  people  seem  to  recognize  it 
as  a  member  of  the  clover  group,  despite  a  marked  likeness  in 
the  leaves  and  blossoms  to  others  of  the  same  family. 

The  name  clover  probably  originated  in  the  Latin  ctava 
(clubs),  in  reference  to  the  fancied  resemblance  between  the 
three-pronged  club  of  Hercules  and  the  clover  leaf.  The  clubs 
of  our  playing-cards  and  the  trifle  (trefoil)  of  the  French  are 
probably  an  imitation  of  the  same  leaf. 

The  nonesuch,  Medicago  lupulina,  with  downy,  procumbent 
stems,  and  flowers  which  grow  in  short  spikes,  is  nearlv  allied  to 

I6o 


PLATE  LXX 


M  EA  DO W  L I LY  .—Lilium  Canadense. 


YELLOW 

tft6  hop  clover.     In  its  reputed  superiority  as  fodder  its  English 
name  is  said  to  have  originated.     Dr.  Prior  says  that  for  many 
years  this  plant  has  been  recognized  in  Ireland  as  the  true  sham 
rock. 

SUNDROPS. 

(Enothera  fruticosa.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Erect;  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate;  oblong  to 
narrowly  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Bright  yellow;  rather  large;  usually 
somewhat  loosely  clustered.  Calyx. — With  a  long  tube  and  four  reflexed 
lobes.  Corolla. — With  four  petals.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One  with 
a  four-lobed  stigma. 

This  is  a  day-blooming  species  of  the  evening  primrose.  Its 
pretty  delicate  flowers  abound  along  the  roadsides  and  in  the 
meadows  of  early  summer. 

(E.  pumila  is  another  day-bloomer  belonging  to  this  same 
genus.  Its  flowers  are  much  smaller  than  the  sundrops. 


MEADOW  LILY.    WILD  YELLOW  LILY. 

[PI.  LXX 
Lilium  Canadense.      Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled  ;  lance-shaped.  Flow- 
trs. — Yellow,  spotted  with  reddish-brown  ;  bell-shaped  ;  two  to  three  inches 
long.  Perianth. — Of  six  recurved  sepals,  with  a  nectar-bearing  furrow  at 
their  base.  Stamens. — Six,  with  anthers  loaded  with  brown  pollen.  Pistil. 
— One,  with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

What  does  the  summer  bring  which  is  more  enchanting  than 
a  sequestered  wood-bordered  meadow  hung  with  a  thousand  of 
these  delicate,  nodding  bells  which  look  as  though  ready  to 
tinkle  at  the  least  disturbance  and  sound  an  alarm  among  the 
flowers  ? 

These  too  are  true  "  lilies  of  the  field, '*  less  gorgeous,  less 
imposing  than  the  Turks'  caps,  but  with  an  unsurpassed  grace 
and  charm  of  their  own.  "  Fairy-caps  "  these  pointed  blossoms 
are  sometimes  called;  "witch-caps"  would  be  more  appro- 
priate still.  Indeed  they  would  make  dainty  headgear  for  any 
of  the  dim  inhabitants  of  Wonder-land. 

161 


1ELLOVV 

The  growth  ot  this  plant  is  very  striking  when  seen  at  its 
best.  The  erect  stem  is  surrounded  with  regular  whorls  of  leaves, 
from  the  upper  one  of  which  [curves  a  circle  of  long-stemmed, 
nodding  flowers.  They  suggest  an  exquisite  design  for  churcb 
candelabra. 

COMMON   BLADDERWORT. 

Utricularia  vulgaris.     Bladderwort  Family. 

Stems.— Immersed;  one  to  three  feet  long.  Leaves. — Many-parted; 
hair-like  ;  bearing  numerous  bladders.  Scape. — Six  to  twelve  inches  long 
Flowers. — Yellow ;  five  to  twelve  on  each  scape.  Calyx. — Two-lipped 
Corolla. — Two-lipped;  spurred  at  the  base.  Stamens. — Two.  Pistil.— 
One. 

This  curious  water-plant  may  or  may  not  have  roots  ;  in 
either  case  it  is  not  fastened  to  the  ground,  but  is  floated  by 
means  of  the  many  bladders  which  are  borne  on  its  finely 
dissected  leaves.  It  is  found  commonly  in  ponds  and  slow 
streams,  flowering  throughout  the  summer.  Thoreau  calls  it 
"a  dirty  conditioned  flower,  like  a  sluttish  woman  with  a  gaudy 
yellow  bonnet." 

The  horned  bladderwort,  U.  cornuta,  roots  in  the  peat -bogs 
and  sandy  swamps.  Its  large  yellow  helmet-shaped  flowers  are 
very  fragrant,  less  than  half  a  dozen  being  borne  on  each  scape. 
There  are  a  number  of  other  species  of  yellow  bladderwort,  with 
smaller  flowers,  which  are  recognized  easily  as  belonging  to  this 
group. 

YELLOW-EYED  GRASS. 

Xyris  flexuosa.     Mayaca  Family. 

Scape. — Slender,  ten  to  sixteen  inches  high,  often  from  a  bulbous  base. 
Leaves. — Narrowly  linear,  sheathing  the  base  of  scape,  commonly  twisted 
with  age,  as  is  the  scape.  Flowers. — Yellow,  small,  growing  in  a  head,  usually 
about  two  opening  at  the  same  time.  Calyx. — Of  three  sepals,  one  of  which 
soon  withers.  Corolla. — Of  three  clawed  petals.  Stamens. — Three  fertile, 
with  anthers,  and  three  sterile,  without  anthers.  Pistil. — One,  with  three- 
cleft  style. 

In  wet,  boggy  places,  growing  often  in  close  companionship 
with  the  sundew  and  bladderwort,  we  notice  during  the  summer 
1  the  round  heads  of  the  yellow -eyed  grass. 

162 


PLATE  LXXI 


HORNED  BLADDERWORT.— Utricularia  cornuta. 


YELLOW 


BUTTER-AND-EGGS.    TOADFLAX. 

Linaria  vulgaris.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth;  erect;  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate; 
linear  or  nearly  so.  Flowers. — Of  two  shades  of  yellow  ;  growing  in  termi- 
nal racemes.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Pale  yellow  tipped  with 
orange;  long-spurred;  two-lipped;  closed  in  the  throat.  Stamens. — Four. 
pistil. — One. 

The  bright  blossoms  of  butter-and-eggs  grow  in  full,  close 
clusters  which  enliven  the  waste  places  along  the  roadside  so 
commonly  that  little  attention  is  paid  to  these  beautiful  and 
conspicuous  flowers.  They  would  be  considered  a  "pest"  if 
they  did  not  display  great  discrimination  in  their  choice  of 
locality,  generally  selecting  otherwise  useless  pieces  of  ground. 
The  common  name  of  butter-and-eggs  is  unusually  appropriate,  for 
the  two  shades  of  yellow  match  perfectly  their  namesakes.  Like 
nearly  all  our  common  weeds,  this  plant  has  been  utilized  in 
various  ways  by  the  country  people.  It  yielded  what  was  con- 
sidered at  one  time  a  valuable  skin  lotion,  while  its  juice  mingled 
with  milk  constitutes  a  fly-poison.  Its  generic  name,  Linaria, 
and  its  English  title,  toadflax,  arose  from  a  fancied  resemblance 
between  its  leaves  and  those  of  the  flax. 


DYER'S  GREEN-WEED.      WOAD-WAXEN       NEW  ENG- 
LAND WHIN. 

Genista  tinctoria.     Pulse  Family. 

A  shrubby  plant  from  one  to  two  feet  high.     Leaves. — Lance-shaped. 
Flowers. — Papilionaceous;  yellow;  growing  in  spiked  racemes. 

This  is  another  foreigner  which  has  established  itself  in  East- 
ern New  York  and  Massachusetts,  where  it  covers  the  barren 
hill-sides  with  its  yellow  flowers  in  early  summer.  It  is  a  com- 
mon English  plant,  formerly  valued  for  the  yellow  dye  which  it 
yielded.  It  is  an  undesirable  intruder  in  pasture-lands,  as  it 
gives  a  bitter  taste  to  the  milk  of  cows  which  feed  upon  it. 


163 


YELLOW 


RATTLEBOX. 

Crotalaria  sagittalis.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy;  three  to  six  inches  high.  Leaves. — Undivided;  oval  oi 
lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous ;  yellow ;  but  few  in  a  cluster. 
Pod. — Inflated;  many-seeded;  blackish. 

The  yellow  flowers  of  the  rattlebox  are  found  in  the  sandy 
meadows  and  along  the  roadsides  during  the  summer.  Both  the 
generic  and  English  names  refer  to  the  rattling  of  the  loose  seeds 
within  the  inflated  pod. 


YELLOW  RATTLE. 

Rhinanthus  Crista-galli.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  upright,  usually  branching,  six  to  eighteen  inches  high. 
Leaves.  —  Opposite,  lanceolate,  set  close  to  the  stem,  coarsely  toothed. 
Floral-leaves.  —  Broader,  with  bristle-tipped  teeth.  Flowers.  —  Yellow, 
"  crowded  in  a  one-sided,  leafy-bracted  spike."  Calyx. — Four-toothed,  flat- 
tened, much  inflated  in  fruit.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  usually  with  a  purple 
spot  on  one  or  both  lips,  upper  lip  arched,  lower  lip  three-lobed.  Stamens. 
— Four,  under  the  upper  lip.  Pistil. — One. 

This  plant  is  found  along  the  New  England  coast  and  in  tb* 
mountains  of  New  Hampshire. 


COMMON  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT. 

Hypericum  perforatum.     St.  John's-wort  Family. 

Stem. — Much  branched.  Leaves. — Small;  opposite ;  somewhat  oblong ; 
with  pellucid  dots.  Florvers. — Yellow;  numerous;  in  leafy  clusters.  Calyx. 
— Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  bright  yellow  petals,  somewhat  spotted 
with  black.  Stamens. — Indefinite  in  number.  Pistil. — One,  with  three 
spreading  styles. 

"  Too  well  known  as  a  pernicious  weed  which  it  is  difficult  to 
extirpate,"  is  the  scornful  notice  which  the  botany  gives  to  this 
plant,  whose  bright  yellow  flowers  are  noticeable  in  waste  fields 
and  along  roadsides  nearly  all  summer.  Its  rank,  rapid  growth 
proves  very  exhausting  to  the  soil,  and  every  New  England 

164 


PLATE    LXXI! 


COMMON  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT.— Hypericum  per/oratum. 


YELLOW 

farmer  wishes  it  had  remained  where  it  rightfully  belongs — on 
the  other  side  of  the  water. 

Perhaps  more  superstitions  have  clustered  about  the  St.  John's- 
wort  than  about  any  other  plant  on  record.  It  was  formerly 
gathered  on  St.  John's  eve,  and  was  hung  at  the  doors  and  win- 
dows as  a  safeguard  against  thunder  and  evil  spirits.  A  belief 
prevailed  that  on  this  night  the  soul  had  power  to  leave  the  body 
and  visit  the  spot  where  it  would  finally  be  summoned  from  its 
earthly  habitation,  hence  the  all-night  vigils  which  were  observed 
at  that  time. 

"The  wonderful  herb  whose  leaf  will  decide 
If  the  coming  year  shall  make  me  a  bride," 

is  the  St.  John's-wort,  and  the  maiden's  fate  is  favorably  forecast 
by  the  healthy  growth  and  successful  blossoming  of  the  plant 
which  she  has  accepted  as  typical  of  her  future. 

In  early  times  poets  and  physicians  alike  extolled  its  proper- 
ties. An  ointment  was  made  of  its  blossoms,  and  one  of  its  early 
names  was  "  balm-of-the-warrior's-wound."  It  was  considered 
so  efficacious  a  remedy  for  melancholia  that  it  was  termed  "  fuga 
daemonum."  Very  possibly  this  name  gave  rise  to  the  general 
idea  that  it  was  powerful  in  dispelling  evil  spirits. 

The  pale  St.  John's-wort,  H.  ellipticum,  has  thin,  spreading, 
oval  leaves  which  are  set  close  to  the  stem,  and  pale  yellow  flowers, 
about  half  an  inch  broad. 

The  spotted  St.  John's-wort,  H.  maculatum,  may  be  identi- 
fied by  its  slender  blossoms  and  copiously  black-dotted,  oblong 
leaves. 

The  Canadian  St.  John's-wort,  H.  Canadense,  has  linear, 
three-nerved  leaves  and  small  flowers  with  from  five  to  twelve 
stamens  only.  It  grows  abundantly  in  wet,  sandy  places. 

The  dwarf  St.  John's-wort,  H.  mutilum,  has  even  smaller 
blossoms,  with  from  five  to  twelve  stamens  also,  and  narrowly 
oblong  or  ovate  leaves,  which  are  five-nerved  and  partly  clasping. 
This  is  abundant  in  low  grounds  everywhere. 


id* 


PLATE   LXXI8 


COMMON 


BELLOW 


ORANGE   GRASS.     PINE-WEED. 

Hypericum  nudicaule.     St.  John's-wort  Family. 

Erect ;  bushy ;  four  to  twenty  inches  high,  with  wiry,  thread-like  branches 
Leaves. — Opposite;  minute  ;  awl-shaped,  pressed  toward  the  stem.  Flowers. 
— Yellow,  very  small,  open  in  sunlight.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. 
— Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five  to  twelve.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  sepa- 
rate styles.  Fruit. — A  red  or  purplish  pod. 

This  little  plant  is  common  in  sandy  soil  from  Maine  to 
Florida,  and  westward  as  well.  Often  it  grows  abundantly 
along  the  roadside. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  CROSS. 

Ascyrum  Crux-Andrea.     St.  John's-wort  Family. 

Stems. — Low;  branched.  Leaves. — Opposite;  narrowly  oblong  ;  black- 
dotted.  Flowers. — Light  yellow.  Calyx. — Of  four  sepals;  the  two  outer 
broad  and  leaflike ;  the  inner  much  smaller.  Corolla. — Of  four  narrowly 
oblong  petals.  Stamens.  —  Numerous.  Pistil.  —  One,  with  two  short 
styles. 

From  July  till  September  these  flowers  may  be  found  in  the 
pine-barrens  of  New  Jersey  and  farther  south  and  westward,  and 
on  the  island  of  Nantucket  as  well. 


COMMON   MULLEIN. 

[PI.  LXXIII 

Verbascum  Thapsus.     Figwort  Family. 

Stems. — Tall  and  stout ;  from  three  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  ; 
woolly.  Flowers. — In  along  dense  spike.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. 
— Yellow  ;  with  five  slightly  unequal  rounded  lobes.  Stamens. — Ten,  the 
three  upper  with  white  wool  on  their  filaments.  Pistil. — One. 

The  common  mullein  is  a  native  of  the  island  of  Thapsos, 
from  which  it  takes  its  specific  name.  It  was  probably  brought 
to  this  country  from  Europe  by  the  early  colonists,  notwithstand- 
ing the  title  of  "  American  velvet  plant,"  which  it  is  rumored 
to  bear  in  England.  The  Romans  called  it  "  candelaria,"  from 
their  custom  of  dipping  the  long,  dried  stalk  in  suet  and  using  it 

168 


PLATE 


MOTH   MULLEIN.—  Verbascum  BlattanA. 


YELLOW 

as  a  funeral  torch,  and  the  Greeks  utilized  the  leaves  for  lamp- 
wicks.  In  more  modern  times  they  have  served  as  a  remedy  for 
the  pulmonary  complaints  of  men  and  beasts  alike,  "  mullein 
tea"  being  greatly  esteemed  by  country  people.  Its  especial 
efficacy  with  cattle  has  earned  the  plant  its  name  of  "  bullocks' 
lungwort. ' ' 

A  low  rosette  of  woolly  leaves  is  all  that  can  be  seen  of  the 
mullein  during  its  first  year,  the  yellow  blossoms  on  their  long 
spikes  opening  sluggishly  about  the  middle  of  the  second  summer. 
It  abounds  throughout  our  dry,  rolling  meadows,  and  its  tall 
spires  are  a  familiar  feature  in  the  summer  landscape. 


MOTH  MULLEIN. 

IPI.  LXXIV 

Vcrbascum  Blattaria.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem.—  Tall  and  slender.  Leaves. — Oblong;  toothed;  the  lower  some, 
times  lyre-shaped,  the  upper  partly  clasping.  Flowers. — Yellow  or  white  ; 
tinged  with  red  or  purple;  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx. — Deeply  five- 
parted.  Corolla.  — Butterfly  shape  ;  of  five  rounded,  somewhat  unequal 
lobes.  Stamens. — Five,  with  filaments  bearded  with  violet  wool  and  anthers 
loaded  with  orange-colored  pollen.  Pistil. — One. 

Along  the  highway  from  July  till  October  one  encounters  a 
slender  weed  on  whose  erect  stem  it  would  seem  as  though  a 
number  of  canary-yellow  or  purplish-white  moths  had  alighted 
for  a  moment's  rest.  These  are  the  fragile,  pretty  flowers  of  the 
moth  mullein,  and  they  are  worthy  of  a  closer  examination. 
The  reddened  or  purplish  centre  of  the  corolla  suggests  the 
probability  of  hidden  nectar,  while  the  pretty  tufts  of  violet 
wool  borne  by  the  stamens  are  well  fitted  to  protect  it  from 
the  rain.  A  little  experience  of  the  canny  ways  of  these 
innocent-looking  flowers  leads  one  to  ask  the  wherefore  of  every 
new  feature. 


170 


YELLOW 


PARTRIDGE-PEA. 

Cassia  Chamcecrista.     Pulse  Family. 

Stems. — Spreading  ;  eight  inches  to  a  foot  long.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
from  ten  to  fifteen  pairs  of  narrow  delicate  leaflets,  which  close  at  night 
and  are  somewhat  sensitive  to  the  touch.  Flowers. — Yellow;  rather  large 
and  showy;  on  slender  stalks  beneath  the  spreading  leaves  ;  not  papiliona- 
ceous. Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded,  spreading, 
somewhat  unequal  petals,  two  or  three  of  which  are  usually  spotted  at  the 
base  with  red  or  purple.  Stamens. — Ten;  unequal;  dissimilar.  Pistil. — 
One,  with  a  slender  style.  Pod. — Flat. 

The  partridge-pea  is  closely  related  to  the  wild  senna,  and  a 
pretty,  delicate  plant  it  is,  with  graceful  foliage,  and  flowers  in 
late  summer  which  surprise  us  with  their  size,  abounding  in 
gravelly,  sandy  places  where  little  else  will  flourish,  brightening 
the  railway  embankments  and  the  road's  edge.  It  is  at  home  all 
over  the  country  south  of  Massachusetts  and  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  but  it  grows  with  a  greater  vigor  and  luxuriance  in 
the  South  than  elsewhere.  The  leaves  can  hardly  be  called  sen- 
sitive to  the  touch,  yet  when  a  branch  is  snapped  from  the  par- 
ent stem,  or  is  much  handled,  the  delicate  leaflets  will  droop  and 
fold,  displaying  their  curious  mechanism. 


WILD  SENNA. 

Cassia  Marilandica.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Three  or  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  from  six  to  nir.e 
pairs  of  narrowly  oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — Yellow ;  in  short  clusters  from 
the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  slightly 
unequal,  spreading  petals  ;  usually  somewhat  spotted  with  reddish  brown. 
Stamens. — Five  to  ten  ;  unequal ;  some  of  them  often  imperfect.  Pistil. — 
One.  Pod. — Long  and  narrow,  slightly  curved,  flat. 

This  tall,  striking  plant,  with  clusters  of  yellow  flowers  which 
appear  in  midsummer,  grows  abundantly  along  many  of  the  New 
England  roadsides,  and  also  far  south  and  west,  thriving  best  in 
sandy  soil.  Although  a  member  of  the  Pulse  family  its  blossoms 
are  not  papilionaceous. 

171 


VELLOW 


BLACK-EYED  SUSAN.    CONE-FLOWER. 

Rudbeckia  hirta.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Stout  and  hairy;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves.  —  Rough  and 
hairy ;  the  upper  long,  narrow,  set  close  to  the  stem ;  the  lower  broader, 
with  leaf-stalks.  Flower-heads.—  Composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers; 
the  former  yellow,  the  latter  brown  and  arranged  on  a  cone-like  receptacle. 

By  the  middle  of  July  our  dry  meadows  are  merry  with 
black-eyed  Susans,  which  are  laughing  from  every  corner  and 
keeping  up  a  gay  midsummer  carnival  in  company  with  the  yel- 
low lilies  and  brilliant  milk-weeds.  They  seem  to  revel  in  the 
long  days  of  blazing  sunlight,  and  are  veritable  salamanders 
among  the  flowers.  Although  now  so  common  in  our  eastern 
fields  they  were  first  brought  to  us  with  clover-seed  from  the 
west,  and  are  not  altogether  acceptable  guests,  as  they  bid  fair 
to  add  another  anxiety  to  the  already  harassed  life  of  the  New 
England  farmer. 


Rudbeckia  laciniata.     Composite  Family. 

Two  to  seven  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth;  branching.  Leaves. — The 
lower  divided  into  lobed  leaflets ;  the  upper  irregularly  three  to  five-parted. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow  ;  rather  large  ;  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flow- 
ers; the  former  drooping  and  yellow  ;  the  latter  dull  greenish  and  arranged 
on  a  columnar  receptacle. 

This  graceful,  showy  flower  is  even  more  decorative  than  the 
black-eyed  Susan.  Its  drooping  yellow  rays  are  from  one  to 
two  inches  long.  It  may  be  found  throughout  the  summer  in 
the  low  thickets  which  border  the  swamps  and  meadows. 


AGRIMONY. 

Agrimonia  Eupatoria.      Rose  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  several  coarsely  toothed 
leaflets.  Flmvers. — Small;  yellow;  in  slender  spiked  racemes.  Calyx. — 
Five-cleft ;  beset  with  hooked  teeth.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — 
Five  to  fifteen.  Pistils. — One  to  four. 

The  slender  yellow  racemes  of  the  agrimony  skirt  the  woods 
throughout  the  later  summer.     In  former  times  the  plant  was 

172 


PLATE    LXXV 


AGRIMONY.— Agrintonia  Euj>atoria. 
173 


YELLOW 

held  in  high  esteem  by  town  physician  and  country  herbalist 
alike.  Emerson  longed  to  know 

"  Only  the  herbs  and  simples  of  the  wood, 
Rue,  cinquefoil,  gill,  vervain,  and  agrimony." 

Up  to  a  recent  date  the  plant  has  been  dried  and  preserved  by 
country  people,  and  might  be  seen  exposed  for  sale  in  the  shops 
of  French  villages.  It  has  also  been  utilized  in  a  dressing  for 
shoe-leather.  When  about  to  flower  it  yields  a  pale  yellow  dye. 

Chaucer  calls  it  egremoine.  The  name  is  supposed  to  be  de- 
rived from  the  Greek  title  for  an  eye-disease,  for  which  the  juice 
of  a  plant  similarly  entitled  was  considered  efficacious.  The 
crushed  flower  yields  a  lemon-like  odor. 

The  small-flowered  agrimony,  A.  parviflora,  is  found  in  the 
woods  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  also  west  and  southward. 
Its  leaves  are  divided  into  from  eleven  to  nineteen  deeply  cut 
leaflets,  with  smaller  lance-shaped  ones  intermixed.  Its  petals 
are  smaller  than  in  the  common  agrimony,  which  otherwise  it 
resembles. 


YELLOW  WOOD  SORREL. 

Oxalis  stricta.     Geranium  Family. 

Stem. — Erect.  Leaves.—  Divided  into  three  delicate  clover-like  leaflets. 
Flowers. — Golden-yellow.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  pet- 
als. Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles. 

All  summer  the  small  flowers  of  the  yellow  wood  sorrel  sho\v 
brightly  against  their  background  of  delicate  leaves.  The  plant 
varies  greatly  in  its  height  and  manner  of  growth,  flourishing 
abundantly  along  the  roadsides.  The  small  leaflets  are  open  to 
the  genial  influence  of  sun  and  air  during  the  hours  of  daylight, 
but  at  night  they  protect  themselves  from  chill  by  folding  one 
against  another. 


PLATE    LXXVI 


PALE  JEWEL-WEED.-/^/**, 
175 


YELLOW 


JEWEL-WEED.    TOUCH-ME-NOT. 

CPl.  LXXVI 

Geranium  Family. 

Impatien s  pallida.     Pale  Jewel- weed. 

Flowers. — Pale  yellow,  somewhat  spotted  with  reddish  brown ;  common 
northward. 


Impatiens  fiilva.     Spotted  Jewel-weed. 

Flowers.  —  Orange-yellow,  spotted  with  reddish  brown;  common  south- 
ward. 

Two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate;  coarsely  toothed;  oval. 
Flowers. — Nodding;  loosely  clustered,  or  growing  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx  and  Corolla. — Colored  alike,  and  difficult  to  distinguish  ;  of 
six  pieces,  the  largest  one  extended  backward  into  a  deep  sac  ending  in  a 
little  spur,  the  two  innermost  unequally  two-lobed.  Stamens. — Five;  very 
short;  united  over  the  pistil.  Pistil. — One. 

These  beautiful  plants  are  found  along  shaded  streams  and 
marshes,  and  are  profusely  hung  with  brilliant  jewel-like  flowers 
during  the  summer  months.  In  the  later  year  they  bear  those 
closed  inconspicuous  blossoms  which  fertilize  in  the  bud  and  are 
called  cleistogamous  flowers.  The  jewel- weed  has  begun  to  ap- 
pear along  the  English  rivers,  and  it  is  said  that  the  ordinary 
showy  blossoms  are  comparatively  rare,  while  the  cleistogamous 
ones  abound.  Does  not  this  look  almost  like  a  determination  on 
the  part  of  the  plant  to  secure  a  firm  foothold  in  its  new  envi- 
ronment before  expending  its  energy  on  flowers  which,  though 
radiant  and  attractive,  are  quite  dependent  on  insect  visitors  for 
fertilization  and  perpetuation? 

The  name  touch-me-not  refers  to  the  seed-pods,  which  burst 
open  with  such  violence  when  touched,  as  to  project  their  seeds 
to  a  comparatively  great  distance.  This  ingenious  mechanism 
secures  the  dispersion  of  the  seeds  without  the  aid  of  the  wind  or 
animals.  In  parts  of  New  York  the  plant  is  called  "  silver-leaf," 
from  its  silvery  appearance  when  touched  with  rain  or  dew,  <y 
when  held  beneath  the  water. 


YELLOW 


HORSE    BALM.    RICH-WEED.    STONE-ROOT. 

Collinsonia  Canadensis.     Mint  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves.— Opposite ;  large;  ovate;  toothed; 
pointed.  Flowers. — Yellowish;  lemon-scented  ;  clustered  loosely.  Calyx. 
— Two-lipped;  the  upper  lip  three-toothed  ;  the  lower  two-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Elongated  ;  somewhat  two-lipped  ;  the  four  upper  lobes  nearly  equal,  the 
lower  large  and  long,  toothed  or  fringed.  Stamens. — Two  (sometimes  four, 
the  upper  pair  shorter),  protruding,  diverging.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two- 
lobed  style. 

In  the  damp  rich  woods  of  midsummer  these  strong-scented 
herbs,  with  their  loose  terminal  clusters  of  lemon-colored,  lemon- 
scented  flowers,  are  abundant.  The  plant  was  introduced  into 
England  by  the  amateur  botanist  and  flower- lover,  Collinson, 
after  whom  the  species  is  named.  The  Indians  formerly  em- 
ployed it  as  an  application  to  wounds. 


YELLOW  FRINGED  ORCHIS.    ORANGE  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  ciliaris.     Orchis  Family. 

Stem.  —  Leafy;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — The  lower  oblong  to 
lance-shaped;  the  upper  passing  into  pointed  bracts.  Flowers.  —  Deep 
orange  color,  with  a  slender  spur  and  deeply  fringed  lip ;  growing  in  an  ola- 
long  spike.  , 

Years  may  pass  without  our  meeting  this  the  most  brilliant  of 
our  orchids.  Suddenly  one  August  day  we  chance  upon  just 
such  a  boggy  meadow  as  we  have  searched  in  vain  a  hundred 
times,  and  behold  myriads  of  its  deep  orange,  dome-like  spires 
erecting  themselves  in  radiant  beauty  over  whole  acres  of  land. 
The  separate  flowers,  with  their  long  spurs  and  deeply  fringed 
lips,  will  repay  a  close  examination.  They  are  well  calculated, 
massed  in  such  brilliant  clusters,  to  arrest  the  attention  of  what- 
ever insects  may  specially  affect  them.  Although  I  have 
watched  many  of  these  plants  I  have  never  seen  an  insect  visit 
one,  and  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  are  fertilized  by  night- 
moths. 


Mr.  Baldwin  declares  :  "  If  1  ever  write  a  romance  of  Indian 
life,  my  dusky  heroine,  Birch  Tree  or  Trembling  Fawn,  shall 
meet  her  lover  with  a  wreath  of  this  orchis  on  her  head.' ' 


EVENING  PRIMROSE. 

(Enothera  biennis.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stout ;  erect ;  one  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves.  — Alternate ;  lance-shaped 
to  oblong.  Flowers. — Pale  yellow ;  in  a  leafy  spike ;  opening  at  night. 
Calyx. — With  a  long  tube  ;  four-lobed.  Corolla. — Of  four  somewhat  heart- 
shaped  petals.  Stamens. — Eight,  with  long  anthers.  Pistil. — One,  with  a 
stigma  divided  into  four  linear  lobes. 

Along  the  roadsides  in  midsummer  we  notice  a  tall,  rank- 
growing  plant,  which  seems  chiefly  to  bear  buds  and  faded  blos- 
soms. And  unless  we  are  already  familiar  with  the  owl-like 
tendencies  of  the  evening  primrose,  we  are  surprised,  some  dim 
twilight,  to  find  this  same  plant  resplendent  with  a  mass  of  frag- 
ile yellow  flowers,  which  are  exhaling  their  faint  delicious  fra- 
grance on  the  evening  air. 

One  brief  summer  night  exhausts  the  vitality  of  these  delicate 
blossoms.  The  faded  petals  of  the  following  day  might  serve  as 
a  text  for  a  homily  against  all-night  dissipation,  did  we  not  know 
that  by  its  strange  habit  the  evening  primrose  guards  against  the 
depredations  of  those  myriad  insects  abroad  during  the  day, 
which  are  unfitted  to  transmit  its  pollen  to  the  pistil  of  another 
flower. 

We  are  impressed  by  the  utilitarianism  in  vogue  in  this  floral 
world,  as  we  note  that  the  pale  yellow  of  these  blossoms  gleams 
so  vividly  through  the  darkness  as  to  advertise  effectively  their 
whereabouts,  while  their  fragrance  serves  as  a  mute  invitation 
to  the  pink  night-moth,  which  is  their  visitor  and  benefactor. 
That  they  change  their  habits  in  the  late  year  and  remain  open 
during  the  day  is  due  perhaps  to  the  diminished  power  of  the 
sun. 


PMTE  LXXVH 


EVKNING  PRIMROSE.— (Enottura.  Henna. 
179 


YELLOW 


ELECAMPANE. 

Inula  Helenium.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Stout;  three  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate;  iarge; 
woolly  beneath ;  the  upper  partly  clasping.  Flower-heads. — Yellow  ;  large ; 
composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

When  we  see  these  great  yellow  disks  peeping  over  the  pasture 
walls  or  flanking  the  country  lanes,  we  feel  that  midsummer  is  at 
its  height.  Flowers  are  often  subservient  courtiers,  and  make 
acknowledgment  of  whatever  debt  they  owe  by  that  subtlest  of 
flatteries — imitation.  Did  not  the  blossoms  of  the  dawning  year 
frequently  wear  the  livery  of  the  snow  which  had  thrown  its  pro- 
tecting mantle  over  their  first  efforts  ?  And  these  new-comers — 
whose  gross,  rotund  countenances  so  clearly  betray  the  results  of 
high  living — do  not  they  pay  their  respects  to  their  great  bene- 
factor after  the  same  fashion? — with  the  result  that  a  myriad 
miniature  suns  shine  upward  from  meadow  and  roadside. 

The  stout,  mucilaginous  root  of  this  plant  is  valued  by  farm- 
ers as  a  horse-medicine,  especially  in  epidemics  of  epizootic,  one 
of  its  common  names  in  England  being  horse-heal. 

In  ancient  times  the  elecampane  was  considered  an  important 
stimulant  to  the  human  brain  and  stomach,  and  it  was  men- 
tioned as  such  over  two  thousand  years  ago  in  the  writings  of 
Hippocrates,  the  "  Father  of  Medicine." 

The  common  name  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  ala 
Campania,  and  refers  to  the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  plant  in 
that  ancient  province  of  Southern  Italy. 

GOLDEN  ASTER. 

Chrysopsis  Mariana.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Silky  with  long  weak  hairs  when  young.  Leav  x — Alternate  ; 
oblong.  Flower-heads.—  Golden  yellow;  rather  large;  composed  of  both 
ray  and  disk-flowers. 

In  dry  places  along  the  roadsides  of  Southern  New  York  and 
farther  south,  one  can  hardly  fail  to  notice  in  late  summer  and 
autumn  the  bright  clusters  of  the  golden  aster. 

180 


PLATE   UXXVlii 


ELECAMPANE.— Inula  Heknium. 


YELLOW 


C.falcata  is  a  species  which  may  be  found  in  dry  sandy  soil 
as  far  north  as  Massachusetts,  with  very  woolly  stems,  crowded 
linear  leaves,  and  small,  clustered  flower-heads. 


WILD   SUNFLOWER. 

Helianthus  giganteus.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Rough  or  hairy ;  from  three  to  ten  feet  high ;  branched  above. 
Leaves. — Lance-shaped;  pointed;  rough  to  the  touch,  set  close  to  the  stem. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow  ;  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

In  late  summer  many  of  our  lanes  are  hedged  by  this  beauti- 
ful plant,  which,  like  other  members  of  its  family,  lifts  its  yellow 
flowers  sunward  in  pale  imitation  of  the  great  lifegiver  itself. 

We  have  twenty-two  different  species  of  sunflower. 

H.  divaricatus  is  of  a  lower  growth,  with  opposite,  widel^ 
spreading  leaves  and  larger  flower-heads. 

H.  annuus  is  the  garden  species  familiar  to  all ;  this  is  said 
to  be  a  native  of  Peru.  Mr.  Ellwanger  writes  regarding  it : 
"  In  the  mythology  of  the  ancient  Peruvians  it  occupied  an  im- 
portant place,  and  was  employed  as  a  mystic  decoration  in  an- 
cient Mexican  sculpture.  Like  the  lotus  of  the  East,  it  is  equally 
a  sacred  and  an  artistic  emblem,  figuring  in  the  symbolism  of 
Mexico  and  Peru,  where  the  Spaniards  found  it  rearing  its  aspir- 
ing stalk  in  the  fields,  and  serving  in  the  temple  as  a  sign  and  a 
decoration,  the  sun-god's  officiating  handmaidens  wearing  upon 
their  breasts  representations  of  the  sacred  flower  in  beaten  gold." 

Gerarde  describes  it  as  follows:  "The  Indian  Sun,  or  the 
golden  floure  of  Peru,  is  a  plant  of  such  stature  and  talnesse  that 
in  one  Sommer,  being  sowne  of  a  seede  in  April,  it  hath  risen 
up  to  the  height  of  fourteen  foot  in  my  garden,  where  one  floure 
was  in  weight  three  pound  and  two  ounces,  and  crosse  over- 
thwart  the  floure  by  measure  sixteen  inches  broad." 

The  generic  name  is  from  helios — the  sun,  and  anthos — a 
flower. 


182 


PLATE  LXXIX 


WILDSUNFLGWER.  —Helianlhus  giganleus. 


PLATE   LXXX 


STICK-TIGHT.— Btdens  frondos* 

183 


Barbed  fruit. 


VELLOW 

SNEEZEWEED.    SWAMP  SUNFLOWER. 

Helenium  autumnale.     Composite  Family. 

One  to  six  feet  high.  Stem. — Angled;  erect;  branching.  Leaves.^- 
Alternate;  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Yellow;  composed  of  both  ray 
and  disk-flowers,  the  rays  three  to  five-cleft. 

The  general  effect  of  this  plant  is  similar  to  that  of  the  wild 
sunflowers,  but  one  is  able  to  identify  it  easily  on  a  close  exam- 
ination, by  means  of  the  stem,  which  is  angled,  and  by  the  ray- 
flowers,  which  are  pistillate  and  from  three  to  five  cleft. 

During  September  it  is  abundant  in  Connecticut,  and  farther 
south  and  westward,  its  bright  flower-heads  bordering  the  rivers, 
gilding  the  meadows,  and  illuminating  many  of  those  dim  wood- 
land pools  which  flash  upon  us  so  constantly  and  enticingly  as 
we  travel  through  the  country  by  rail. 


FALL   DANDELION. 

Lewtodon  atitumnalis.     Composite  Family. 

Scape. — Five  to  fifteen  inches  high  ;  branching.  Leaves. — From  the 
root;  toothed  or  deeply  incised.  Flower-heads. — Yellow;  composed  en- 
tirely of  strap-shaped  flowers  ;  smaller  than  those  of  the  common  dandelion 

From  June  till  November  we  find  the  fall  dandelion  along 
the  New  England  roadsides,  as  well  as  farther  south.  While  the 
yellow  flower-heads  somewhat  suggest  small  dandelions  the  gen- 
eral habit  of  the  plant  recalls  some  of  the  hawk  weeds. 


STICK-TIGHT.     BUR-MARIGOLD.    BEGGAR-TICKS. 

Bidens  frondosa.     Composite  Family.  [PI.  LXXX 

Two  to  six  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — Opposite;  three  to 
five-divided.  Flower-heads.  — Consisting  of  brownish-yellow  tubular  flowers ; 
with  a  leaf-like  involucre  beneath. 

If  one  were  only  describing  the  attractive  wild  flowers,  the 
stick-tight  would  certainly  be  omitted,  as  its  appearance  is  not 

184 


PLATE   LXXXI 


Flower 
LARGER   BUR    MARIGOLD.— Bidens  chrysanthemoides, 


YELLOW 

prepossessing,  and  the  small  barbed  seed-vessels  so  cleverly  fulfil 
their  destiny  in  making  one's  clothes  a  means  of  conveyance  to 
' '  fresh  woods  and  pastures  new  "  as  to  cause  all  wayfarers  hearti- 
ly to  detest  them.  ''How  surely  the  desmodium  growing  on 
some  cliff-side,  or  the  bidens  on  the  edge  of  a  pool,  prophesy  the 
coming  of  the  traveller,  brute  or  human,  that  will  transport  their 
seeds  on  his  coat,"  writes  Thoreau.  But  the  plant  is  so  con- 
stantly encountered  in  late  summer,  and  yet  so  generally  un- 
known, that  it  can  hardly  be  overlooked. 

The  larger  bur-marigold,  B.  chrysanthemoides  (Plate  LXXXL), 
does  its  best  to  retrieve  the  family  reputation  for  ugliness,  and 
surrounds  its  dingy  disk-flowers  with  a  circle  of  showy  golden 
rays  which  are  strictly  decorative,  having  neither  pistils  nor 
stamens,  and  leaving  all  the  work  of  the  household  to  the  less 
attractive  but  more  useful  disk -flowers.  Their  effect  is  pleasing, 
and  late  into  the  autumn  the  moist  ditches  look  as  if  sown  with 
gold  through  their  agency.  The  plant  varies  in  height  from  six 
inches  to  two  feet.  Its  leaves  are  opposite,  lance-shaped,  and 
regularly  toothed. 

B.  cernua,  the  small  bur-marigold,  is  found  often  without 
ray-flowers;  when  these  are  present  they  are  shorter  than  the 
leaflike  involucre  which  surrounds  the  flower-head.  Its  leaves 
are  irregularly  toothed,  and  lance-shaped.  Its  height  varies, 
being  anywhere  from  five  inches  to  three  feet. 


WILD   LETTUCE. 

Lactuca  Canadensis.     Composite  Family. 

Stems. — Noticeably  tall,  from  four  to  nine  feet  high;  leafy;  smooth  or 
nearly  so.  Leaves. — Usually  six  inches  to  a  foot  long;  pale  beneath;  tht, 
upper  lance-shaped  and  not  toothed  ;  the  others  usually  wavy,  lobed,  or  cut. 
Flower-heads. — Pale  yellow  ;  small;  composed  of  strap-shaped  flowers  ;  nu- 
merous in  usually  long  and  narrow  clusters. 

The  wild  lettuce  is  common  in  the  wet  and  somewhat  open 
thickets  of  late  summer.  It  is  perhaps  rendered  more  conspicu- 
ous by  its  unusual  height  and  lobed  leaves  than  by  its  insignifi- 

186 


YELLOW 


cant  flowers.  For  my  own  part  I  rarely  notice  this  plant  during 
its  period  of  blossoming,  although  my  eye  is  constantly  arrested 
by  its  feathery  seed-clusters  during  the  fruiting  season. 


YELLOW  THISTLE. 

Cnicus  horridulus.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Stout ;  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Partly  clasping;  deeply 
cut;  the  toothed  and  cut  lobes  spiny  with  yellowish  prickles.  Flower- 
Jieads. — Pale  yellow  or  purple ;  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  ;  sur- 
rounded by  leaf-like,  prickly  bracts. 

In  sandy  fields  near  the  coast  the  yellow  thistle  blossoms  dur- 
ing the  later  summer. 


GOLDEN-ROD. 

Solidago.     Composite  Family. 
Ffaver-heads. — Golden-yellow;  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

About  eighty  species  of  golden-rod  are  native  to  the  United 
States ;  of  these  forty-two  species  can  be  found  in  our  North- 
eastern States.  Many  of  them  are  difficult  of  identification, 
and  it  would  be  useless  to  describe  any  but  a  few  of  the  more 
conspicuous  forms. 

A  common  and  noticeable  species  which  flowers  early  in 
August  is  S.  Canadensis,  with  a  tall,  stout,  rough  stem  from 
three  to  six  feet  high,  lance-shaped  leaves,  which  are  usually 
sharply  toothed  and  pointed,  and  small  flower-heads  clustered 
along  the  branches  which  spread  from  the  upper  part  of  the  stem. 

Another  early  flowering  species  is  S.  rugosa.  This  is  a  lowei 
plant  than  S.  Canadensis^  with  broader  leaves. 

Still  another  is  the  dusty  golden-rod,  S.  nemoralis,  which  has 
a  hoary  aspect  and  very  bright  yellow  flowers  which  are  com- 
mon in  dry  fields. 

S.  juncea  is  also  an  early  bloomer.  Its  lower  leaves  are  lanceo- 
late or  oval,  with  sharp,  spreading  teeth  and  long,  winged  leaf- 

187 


/ELLOW 

stems.  The  upper  ones  are  narrow  and  set  close  to  tne  stem.  Its 
flower-heads  grow  on  the  upper  side  of  recurved  branches,  form- 
ing usually  a  full,  spreading  cluster. 

S.  lanceolata  has  lance-shaped  or  linear  leaves,  and  flowers 
which  grow  in  flat-topped  clusters,  unlike  other  members  of  the 
family;  the  information  that  this  is  a  golden -rod  often  creates 
surprise,  as  for  some  strange  reason  it  seems  to  be  confused  with 
the  tansy. 

The  sweet  golden-rod,  »S.  odorata,  is  recognized  by  its  nar- 
row, shining,  dotted  leaves,  which  when  crushed  yield  a  pleas- 
ant, permeating  fragrance. 

The  seaside  golden-rod,  S.  sempervtrens,  is  a  showy,  beautiful 
plant  of  vigorous  habit.  Its  large,  orange-yellow  flower-heads, 
and  thick,  bright  green  leaves  make  brilliant  the  salt-marshes, 
sand-hills,  and  rocky  shores  of  the  Atlantic  coast  every  August. 

S.  ccesia,  or  the  blue-stemmed,  is  a  wood-species  and  among 
the  latest  of  the  year,  putting  forth  its  bright  clusters  for  nearly 
the  whole  length  of  its  stem  long  after  many  of  its  brethren  look 
like  brown  wraiths  of  their  former  selves. 

*S*.  latifolia,  usually  has  a  simple,  zigzag  stem  from  one  to  three 
feet  high,  close  to  which,  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  the  flower 
heads  are  bunched  in  short  clusters.  Toward  the  top  of  the  stem 
these  clusters  may  be  prolonged  into  a  narrow  wand.  Its  leaves 
are  thin,  broadly  ovate,  sharply  toothed  and  pointed  at  both 
ends.  This  plant  loves  somewhat  moist,  shaded  localities. 

The  slender,  wand-like  silver-rod,  5.  bicolor  (Plate  LXXXIL), 
whose  partly  whitish  flower-heads  are  a  departure  from  the  family 
habit,  also  survives  the  early  cold  and  holds  its  own  in  the  dry 
woods. 

The  only  species  native  to  Great  Britain  is  S.  Virga-aurea. 

The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify  to 
make  whole,  and  refer  to  the  healing  properties  which  have  been 
attributed  to  the  genus. 


PLATE    LXXJCB 


O'«k  and  my-fiowtr*, 


,-S*/£fc£»  Motor. 
I89 


YELLOW 


SMOOTH   FALSE   FOXGLOVE. 

Gerardia  quercifolia.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth;  three  to  six  feet  high;  usually  branching.  Leaves. — 
The  lower  usually  deeply  incised ;  the  upper  narrowly  oblong,  incised,  or 
entire.  Flowers. — Yellow  ;  large  ;  in  a  raceme  or  spike.  Calyx. — Five- 
cleft.  Corolla. — Two  inches  long;  somewhat  tubular;  swelling  above; 
with  five  more  or  less  unequal,  spreading  lobes  ;  woolly  within.  Stamens. 
— Four  ;  in  pairs  ;  woolly.  Pistil.  — One. 

These  large,  pale  yellow  flowers  are  very  beautiful  and  strik- 
ing when  seen  in  the  dry  woods  of  late  summer.  They  are  all 
the  more  appreciated  because  there  are  few  flowers  abroad  at  this 
season  save  the  Composites,  which  are  decorative  and  radiant 
enough,  but  usually  somewhat  lacking  in  the  delicate  charm  we 
look  for  in  a  flower. 

For  me  the  plant  is  associated  especially  with  two  localities. 
One  is  a  mountain-road  whose  borders,  from  early  June,  are 
brilliant  with  a  show  of  lovely  blossoms,  but  which,  just  before 
the  appearance  of  the  false  foxglove,  is  threatened  with  a  dismal 
break  in  the  floral  procession.  Only  the  sharpest  eyes  are 
solaced  by  multitudes  of  round  yellow  buds,  that  burst  suddenly 
into  peculiarly  fresh  and  pleasing  flowers. 

The  other  favored  spot  is  a  wooded  island  on  the  coast,  sur- 
rounded by  a  salt  marsh.  In  August,  when  the  marsh  itself  is 
still  brilliant  with  sea-pinks  and  milkwort,  and  beginning  to  wear 
its  glowing  mantle  of  asters  and  golden-rods,  this  island  can 
scarcely  boast  a  blossom  save  that  of  the  false  foxglove.  But  the 
plant  succeeds  in  redeeming  the  lonely  spot  from  any  suspicion 
of  dreariness  by  its  lavish  display  of  cheery  flowers. 

The  downy  false  foxglove,  G.  flava,  is  usually  a  somewhat 
lower  plant,  with  a  close  down,  a  less-branched  stem,  more  en- 
tire leaves,  and  smaller,  similar  flowers. 

The  members  of  this  genus,  which  is  named  after  Gerarde, 
the  author  of  the  famous  "  Herball,"  are  supposed  to  be  more  or 
less  parasitic  in  their  habits,  drawing  their  nourishment  from  the 
roots  of  other  plants. 

190 


LXXXlK 


SMOOTH   FALSE   FOXGLOVE.-Cmm/za  quercijblia. 


TANSY. 

Tanacetum  vulgare.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  toothed  leaflets. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow  ;  composed  of  tiny  flowers  which  are  nearly,  if  not 
all,  tubular  in  shape ;  borne  in  flat-topped  clusters. 

With  the  name  of  tansy  we  seem  to  catch  a  whiff  of  its 
strong-scented  breath  and  a  glimpse  of  some  New  England 
homestead  beyond  whose  borders  it  has  strayed  to  deck  the 
roadside  with  its  deep  yellow,  flat  topped  flower-clusters.  The 
plant  has  been  used  in  medicine  since  the  Middle  Ages,  and  in 
more  recent  times  it  has  been  gathered  by  the  country  people 
for  "  tansy  wine  "  and  "  tansy  tea."  In  the  Roman  Church  it 
typifies  the  bitter  herbs  which  were  to  be  eaten  at  the  Paschal 
season ;  and  cakes  made  of  eggs  and  its  leaves  are  called  "  tan- 
sies," and  eaten  during  Lent.  It  is  also  frequently  utilized  in 
more  secular  concoctions. 

The  common  name  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  the 
Greek  word  to*  immortality. 

WITCH-HAZEL. 

Hamamelis  Virginiana.     Witch-hazel  Family. 

A  tall  shrub.  Leaves. — Oval;  wavy-toothed;  mostly  falling  before  the 
flowers  appear.  Flowers. — Honey-yellow;  clustered;  autumnal.  Calyx. — 
Four-parted.  Corolla. — Of  four  long,  narrow  petals.  Stamens.  —  Eight. 
Pistil. — Two.  Fruit. — A  capsule  which  bursts  elastically,  discharging  its 
large  seeds  with  vigor. 

It  seems  as  though  the  flowers  of  the  witch-hazel  were  fairly 
entitled  to  the  "  booby  -prize"  of  the  vegetable  world.  Surely 
no  other  blossoms  make  their  first  appearance  so  invariably  late 
upon  the  scene  of  action.  The  fringed  gentian  often  begins  to 
open  its  "meek  and  quiet  eye"  quite  early  in  September. 
Certain  species  of  golden-rod  and  aster  continue  to  flower  till 
late  in  the  year,  but  they  began  putting  forth  their  bright  clus- 
ters before  the  summer  was  fairly  over ;  while  the  elusively  fra- 
grant, pale  yellow  blossoms  of  the  witch-hazel  need  hardly  be  ex- 

192 


PLATE  LXXXiV 


WITCH   HAZEL.— Uamamdis  Virginiana. 


YELLOW 

pected  till  well  on  in  September,  when  its  leaves  have  fluttered 
earthward  and  its  fruit  has  ripened.  Does  the  pleasure  which  we 
experience  at  the  spring-like  apparition  of  this  leafless  yellow- 
flowered  shrub  in  the  autumn  woods  arise  from  the  same  de- 
praved taste  which  is  gratified  by  strawberries  at  Christmas,  I 
wonder?  Or  is  it  that  in  the  midst  of  death  we  have  a  fore- 
taste of  life  ;  a  prophecy  of  the  great  yearly  resurrection  which 
even  now  we  may  anticipate? 

Thoreau's  tastes  in  such  directions  were  certainly  not  de- 
praved, and  he  writes:  "The  witch-hazel  loves  a  hill-side  with 
or  without  woods  or  shrubs.  It  is  always  pleasant  to  come  upon 
it  unexpectedly  as  you  are  threading  the  woods  in  such  places. 
Methinks  I  attribute  to  it  some  elfish  quality  apart  from  its  fame. 
I  love  to  behold  its  gray  speckled  stems."  Under  another  date 
he  writes :  "  Heard  in  the  night  a  snapping  sound,  and  the  fall 
of  some  small  body  on  the  floor  from  time  to  time.  In  the 
morning  I  found  it  was  produced  by  the  witch-hazel  nuts  on  my 
desk  springing  open  and  casting  their  seeds  quite  across  my 
chamber,  hard  and  stony  as  these  nuts  were." 

The  Indians  long  ago  discovered  the  value  of  the  bark  of  the 
,vitch-hazel  for  medicinal  purposes,  and  it  is  now  utilized  in  many 
well-known  extracts.  The  forked  branches  formerly  served  as 
divining-rods  in  the  search  for  water  and  precious  ores.  This 
belief  in  its  mysterious  power  very  possibly  arose  from  its  sug- 
gestive title,  which  Dr.  Prior  says  should  be  spelled  wy^-hazel, 
as  it  was  called  after  the  wych-elm,  whose  leaves  it  resembles, 
and  which  was  so  named  because  the  chests  termed  in  old  times 
' «  wyches ' '  were  made  of  its  wood — 

"  His  hall  rofe  was  full  of  bacon  flytches, 
The  chambre  charged  was  with  wyches 
Full  of  egges,  butter,  and  chese."  * 

*  Hazlitt's  Early  Popular  Poetry 


193 


IV 

PINK 

[Pink  or  occasionally  Pink  Flowers  not  described  in  Pink  Section.] 

Wood  Anemone.     Anemone  nemorosa.     April  and  May. 

(White  Section,  p.  4.) 

Rue  Anemone.     Anemonella  thalictroides.     April  and  May. 

(White  Section,  p.  6J 

Pyxie.     Pyxidanthera  barbulata.     March  and  April. 

(White  Section,  p.  9.) 

Squirrel  Corn.     Dicentra  Canadensis.     April  and  May. 

(White  Section,  p.  16.) 

Trillium.     April  and  May.     (White  Section,  p.  18.) 

Mountain  Laurel.      Kalmia  latifolia.      June.      (White  Section,  p.  43.) 

American  Rhododendron.     Rhododendron  maximum.     June. 

(White  Section,  p.  46. ) 

Arethusa.     Arethusa  bulbosa.     June.     (Blue  and  Purple  Section,  p.  290.) 

Purple-fringed  Orchises.     Habenaria  fimbriata  and psycodes. 

June,  July,  and  August.     (Blue  and  Purple  Section,  p.  288.) 

Daisy  Fleabane.     Erigeron  annuus.     Summer.     (White  Section,  p.  60.) 
Sundew.     Drosera  filiformis.     Summer.     (White    Section,  p.  78.) 
Turtle-head.     Chelone  glabra.     Summer.     (White  Section,  p.  96.) 


PINK 


TRAILING    ARBUTUS.     MAYFLOWER.    GROUND 
LAUREL. 

Epigtza  repens.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. — With  rusty  hairs  ;  prostrate  or  trailing.  Leaves. — Rounded  ; 
heart-shaped  at  base  ;  evergreen.  Flowers. — Pink ;  clustered ;  fragrant. 
Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Five-lobed  ;  salver-shaped  ;  with  a  slen- 
der tube  which  is  hairy  within.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  five- 
lobed  stigma. 

"  Pink,  small  and  punctual, 
Aromatic,  low," 

describes,  but  does  scant  justice  to  the  trailing  arbutus,  whose 
waxy  blossoms  and  delicious  breath  are  among  the  earliest 
prophecies  of  perfume-laden  summer.  We  look  for  these  flowers 
in  April — not  beneath  the  snow,  where  tradition  rashly  locates 
them,  but  under  the  dead  brown  leaves  of  last  year;  and 
especially  among  the  pines  and  in  light  sandy  soil.  .  Appearing 
as  they  do  when  we  are  eager  for  some  tangible  assurance  that 

" the  Spring  comes  slowly  up  this  way," 

they  win  from  many  of  us  the  gladdest  recognition  of  the 
year. 

In  New  England  they  are  called  Mayflowers,  being  peddled 
about  the  streets  of,Boston  every  spring,  under  the  suggestive 
and  loudly  emphasized  title  of  "  Ply-y-mouth  Ma-ayflowers !  " 
Whether  they  owe  this  name  to  the  ship  which  is  responsible 
for  so  much,  or  to  their  season  of  blooming,  in  certain  localities, 
might  remain  an  open  question  had  we  not  the  authority  of 
Whittier  for  attributing  it  to  both  causes.  In  a  note  prefacing 
' 'The  Mayflowers,"  the  poet  says:  "The  trailing  arbutus  or 
Mayflower  grows  abundantly  in  the  vicinity  of  Plymouth,  and 
was  the  first  flower  to  greet  the  Pilgrims  after  their  fearful 
winter."  In  the  poem  itself  he  wonders  what  the  old  ship  had 

"Within  her  ice-rimmed  bay 
In  common  with  the  wild-wood  flowers, 
The  first  sweet  smiles  of  May  ?  " 

195 


PINK 

and  continues — 

"  Yet  '  God  be  praised  !  '  the  Pilgrim  said, 

Who  saw  the  blossoms  peer 
Above  the  brown  leaves,  dry  and  dead, 
'  Behold  our  Mayflower  here  !  ' 

*'  God  wills  it,  here  our  rest  shall  be, 

Our  years  of  wandering  o'er, 
For  us  the  Mayflower  of  the  sea 
Shall  spread  her  sails  no  more. 

•  *  O  sacred  flowers  of  faith  and  hope, 

As  sweetly  now  as  then, 
Ye  bloom  on  many  a  birchen  slope, 
'  In  many  a  pine-dark  glen. 

"  So  live  the  fathers  in  their  sons, 

Their  sturdy  faith  be  ours, 
And  ours  the  love  that  overruns 
Its  rocky  strength  with  flowers." 

If  the  poet's  fancy  was  founded  on  fact,  and  if  our  lovely  and 
widespread  Mayflower  was  indeed  the  first  blossom  noted  and 
christened  by  our  forefathers,  it  seems  as  though  the  problem  of 
a  national  flower  must  be  solved  by  one  so  lovely  and  historic  as 
to  silence  all  dispute.  And  when  we  read  the  following  prophet- 
ic stanzas  which  close  the  poem,  showing  that  during  another 
dark  period  in  our  nation's  history  these  brave  little  blossoms, 
struggling  through  the  withered  leaves,  brought  a  message  of 
hope  and  courage  to  the  heroic  heart  of  the  Quaker  poet,  our 
feeling  that  they  are  peculiarly  identified  with  our  country's 
perilous  moments  is  intensified. 

"  The  Pilgrims  wild  and  wintry  day 

Its  shadow  round  us  draws  ; 
The  Mayflower  of  his  stormy  bay 
Our  Freedom's  struggling  cause. 

"  But  warmer  suns  erelong  shall  bring 

To  life  the  frozen  sod ; 

And,  through  dead  leaves  of  hope,  shall  spring 
Afresh  the  flowers  of  God !  " 
196 


PLATE  LXXXV 


TRAILING  ARBUTUS.—  Epigtea  repem. 
TWIN-FLOWER.— Linncea  borealis. 

197 


PINK 

TWIN-FLOWER. 

[PI.  LXXXV 
Linnaa  borealis.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  creeping  and  trailing.  Leaves. — Rounded;  evergreen. 
Flowers. — Growing  in  pairs  ;  delicate  pink ;  fragrant ;  nodding  on  thread- 
like, upright  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla — Narrowly 
bell-shaped;  five-lobed  ;  hairy  within.  Stamens. — Four;  two  shorter  than 
the  others.  Pistil.— One. 

Whoever  has  seen 


" beneath  dim  aisles,  in  odorous  beds, 

The  slight  Linnaea  hang  its  twin-born  heads," 

will  not  soon  forget  the  exquisite  carpeting  made  by  its  nodding 
pink  flowers,  or  the  delicious  perfume  which  actually  filled  the 
air  and  drew  one's  attention  to  the  spot  from  which  it  was  ex- 
haled, tempting  one  to  exclaim,  with  Richard  Jefferies,  "  Sweet- 
est of  all  things  is  wild-flower  air!"  That  this  little  plant 
should  have  been  selected  as  "  the  monument  of  the  man  of 
flowers"  by  the  great  Linnaeus  himself  bears  testimony  to  his 
possession  of  that  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  which  is  supposed 
to  be  lacking  in  men  of  long  scientific  training.  I  believe  that 
there  is  extant  at  least  one  contemporary  portrait  of  Linnaeus  in 
which  he  wears  the  tiny  flowers  in  his  buttonhole.  The  rosy 
twin-blossoms  are  borne  on  thread-like,  forking  flower-stalks,  and 
appear  in  June  in  the  deep,  cool,  mossy  woods  of  the  North.* 


SPRING   BEAUTY. 

Claytonia  Virginica.     Purslane  Family. 

Stem. — From  a  small  tuber ;  often  somewhat  reclining.  Leaves. — Two ; 
opposite  ;  long  and  narrow  ;  Flowers. — White,  with  pink  veins,  or  pink 
with  deeper-colored  veins ;  growing  in  a  loose  cluster.  Calyx. — Of  two 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with 
style  three-cleft  at  apex. 

*  They  are  also  found  occasionally  until  the  fall.  Late  one  September  I 
received  2i  cluster  which  had  just  been  gathered  on  the  shores  of  Saranac  Lake 
in  the  Adirondacks. 

198 


PLATE  LXXXVi 


SPRING   BEAUTY.— Claytonia  Vir&inica. 


PINK 

So  bashful  when  I  spied  her  So  breathless  till  I  passed  her, 

So  pretty,  so  ashamed  !  So  helpless  when  I  turned 

So  hidden  in  her  leaflets  And  bore  her  struggling,  blushing, 

>>est  anybody  find :  Her  simple  haunts  beyond  1 

For  whom  I  robbed  the  dingle, 
For  whom  betrayed  the  dell, 
Many  will  doubtless  ask  me, 
But  I  shall  never  tell !  " 

Yet  we  are  all  free  to  guess — and  what  flower — at  least  in  the 
early  year,  before  it  has  gained  that  touch  of  confidence  which 
it  acquires  later — is  so  bashful,  so  pretty,  so  flushed  with  rosy 
shame,  so  eager  to  defend  its  modesty  by  closing  its  blushing 
petals  when  carried  off  by  the  despoiler — as  the  spring  beauty  ? 
To  be  sure,  she  is  not  "  hidden  in  her  leaflets,"  although  often 
seeking  concealment  beneath  the  leaves  of  other  plants — but 
why  not  assume  that  Miss  Dickinson  has  availed  herself  of  some- 
thing of  the  license  so  freely  granted  to  poets — especially,  it 
seems  to  me — to  poets  of  nature  ?  Perhaps  of  this  class  few  are 
more  accurate  than  she,  and  although  we  wonder  at  the  sudden 
blindness  which  leads  her  to  claim  that 

44  Nature  rarer  uses  yellow 
Than  another  hue — " 

when  it  seems  as  though  it  needed  but  little  knowledge  of  flow- 
ers to  recognize  that  yellow,  probably,  occurs  more  frequently 
among  them  than  any  other  color,  and  also  at  the  representation 
of  this  same  nature  as 

"  Spending  scarlet  like  a  woman — " 

when  in  reality  she  is  so  chary  of  this  splendid  hue,  still  we  can- 
not but  appreciate  that  this  poet  was  in  close  and  peculiar  sym- 
pathy with  flowers,  and  was  wont  to  paint  them  with  more  than 
customary  fidelity. 

We  look  for  the  spring  beauty  in  April  and  May,  and  often 
find  it  in  the  same  moist  places — on  a  brook's  edge  or  skirting 
the  wet  woods — as  the  yellow  adder's  tongue.  It  is  sometimes 

199 


FiNK 

mistaken  for  an  anemone,  but  its  rose-veined  corolla  and  linear 
leaves  easily  identify  it.  Parts  of  the  carriage-drive  in  the  Cen- 
tral Park  are  bordered  with  great  patches  of  the  dainty  blossoms. 
One  is  always  glad  to  discover  these  children  of  the  country 
within  our  city  limits,  where  they  can  be  known  and  loved  by 
those  other  children  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  denied  the 
knowledge  of  them  in  their  usual  haunts.  If  the  day  chances  to 
be  cloudy  these  flowers  close  and  are  only  induced  to  open  again 
by  an  abundance  of  sunlight.  This  habit  of  closing  in  the  shade 
is  common  to  many  flowers,  and  should  be  remembered  by  those 
who  bring  home  their  treasures  from  the  woods  and  fields,  only 
to  discard  the  majority  as  hopelessly  wilted.  If  any  such  ex- 
hausted blossoms  are  placed  in  the  sunlight,  with  their  stems  in 
fresh  water,  they  will  probably  regain  their  vigor.  Should  this 
treatment  fail,  an  application  of  very  hot — almost  boiling — water 
should  be  tried.  This  heroic  measure  often  meets  with  success. 


SHOWY  ORCHIS. 

Orchis  spectabilis.     Orchis  Family. 

Stem. — Four-angled ;  with  leaf-like  bracts  ;  rising  from  fleshy,  fibrous 
roots.  Leaves. — Two;  oblong;  shining;  three  to  six  inches  long.  Flow- 
ers.— In  a  loose  spike ;  purple-pink,  the  lower  lip  white. 

This  flower  not  only  charms  us  with  its  beauty  when  its 
clusters  begin  to  dot  the  rich  May  woods,  but  interests  us  as 
being  usually  the  first  member  of  the  Orchis  family  to  appear 
upon  the  scene;  although  it  is  claimed  in  certain  localities  that 
the  beautiful  Calypso  always,  and  the  Indian  moccasin  occasion- 
ally, precedes  it. 

A  certain  fascination  attends  the  very  name  of  orchid.  Bot- 
anist and  unscientific  flower-lover  alike  pause  with  unwonted  in- 
terest when  the  discovery  of  one  is  announced.  With  the  former 
there  is  always  the  possibility  of  finding  some  rare  species,  while 
the  excitement  of  the  latter  is  apt  to  be  whetted  with  the  hope 
of  beholding  a  marvellous  imitation  of  bee  or  butterfly  fluttering 

200 


PLATE  LXXXVII 


SHOWY  ORCHIS.— Orchis  speclabilis. 


PINK 

from  a  mossy  branch  with  roots  that  draw  their  nourishment 
from  the  air !  While  this  little  plant  is  sure  to  fail  of  satisfying 
the  hopes  of  either,  it  is  far  prettier  if  less  rare  than  many  of  its 
brethren,  and  its  interesting  mechanism  will  repay  our  patient 
study.  It  is  said  closely  to  resemble  the  "long  purples,"  O. 
mascula,  which  grew  near  the  scene  of  Ophelia's  tragic  death. 


TWISTED   STALK. 

Streptopus  roseus.     Lily  Family. 

Stems. — Rather  stout  and  zigzag;  forking  and  diverging.  Leaves. — 
Taper-pointed;  slightly  clasping.  Flowers.  —  Dull  purplish-pink  ;  hanging 
on  thread-like  flower  stalks  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Perianth.  —  Some- 
what bell-shaped;  of  six  distinct  sepals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  three-cleft  stigma.  Fruit. — Red;  roundish;  late  summer. 

This  plant  presents  a  graceful  group  of  forking  branches  and 
pointed  leaves.  No  blossom  is  seen  from  above,  but  on  picking 
a  branch  one  finds  beneath  each  of  its  outspread  leaves  one  or 
two  slender,  bent  stalks  from  which  hang  the  pink,  bell-like 
flowers.  In  general  aspect  the  plant  somewhat  resembles  its  re- 
lation, the  Solomon's  seal,  with  which  it  is  found  blossoming  in 
the  woods  of  May  or  June.  The  English  title  is  a  translation  of 
the  generic  name,  Streptopus. 

In  August  one  finds  the  curved  leafy  stems  hung  with  bright 

red  berries. 

» 

S.  amplexifolius  usually  is  a  somewhat  larger  plant  than  the 
above.  Its  strongly  clasping  leaves  are  very  smooth,  their  under 
sides  covered  with  a  whitish  bloom.  Its  small  flowers  (with  en- 
tire, not  three-cleft  stigmas)  are  greenish  white,  drooping  on  a 
long,  abruptly  bent  flower-stalk.  In  August,  when  its  forking 
branches,  hung  with  bright  red  berries,  are  reflected  in  the  clear 
water  of  some  mountain  stream,  the  plant  is  singularly  striking 
and  decorative. 


201 


PINK 


Rhododendron  Rhodora.     Heath  Family 

A  shrub  from  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  ;  pale.  Flowers. 
— Purplish  pink.  Calyx. — Small.  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  almost  without 
air  tube.  Stamens. — Ten,  not  protruding.  Pistil.— One,  not  protruding. 

"  In  May,  when  sea-winds  pierced  our  solitudes, 
I  found  the  fresh  Rhodora  in  the  woods, 
Spreading  its  leafless  blooms  in  a  damp  nook, 
To  please  the  desert  and  the  sluggish  brook. 
The  purple  petals,  fallen  in  the  pool, 
Made  the  black  water  with  their  beauty  gay ; 
Here  might  the  red-bird  come  his  plumes  to  cool, 
And  court  the  flower  that  cheapens  his  array. 
Rhodora !  If  the  sages  ask  thee  why 
This  charm  is  wasted  on  the  earth  and  sky, 
Tell  them,  dear,  that  if  eyes  were  made  for  seeing, 
Then  Beauty  is  its  own  excuse  for  being ; 
Why  thou  wert  there,  O  rival  of  the  rose ! 
I  never  thought  to  ask,  I  never  knew ; 
But  in  my  simple  ignorance,  suppose 
The  self-same  Power  that  brought  me  there,  brought  you.  ' 


WILD  PINK.f 

Silene  Pennsylvanica.     Pink  Family. 

Stems. — Four  to  eight  inches  high.  Leaves. — Those  from  the  root  nar- 
rowly wedge-shaped ;  those  on  the  stem  lance-shaped,  opposite.  Flowers.-^ 
Bright  pink  ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals. 
Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

When  a  vivid  cluster  of  wild  pinks  gleams  from  some  rocky 
opening  in  the  May  woods,  it  is  difficult  to  restrain  one's  eager- 
ness, for  there  is  something  peculiarly  enticing  in  these  fresh, 
vigorous-looking  flowers.  They  are  quite  unlike  most  of  their 
fragile  contemporaries,  for  already  they  seem  imbued  with  the 

*  Emerson. 

t  Although  from  their  English  names  the  Wild  Pink  and  the  Moss  Pink 
would  seem  to  be  allied,  a  reference  to  their  generic  and  family  titles  shows 
them  to  belong  to  quite  different  groups  of  plants. 

202 


PLATE  LXXXVIII 


Rhododendron  Rhodora. 


PLATE  i-XXXIX 


WILD  PINK.— Silent  Pennsylvania 


PINK 

glowing  warmth  of  summer,  and  to  have  no  memory  of  that 
snowy  past  which  appears  to  leave  its  imprint  on  so  many  blos- 
soms of  the  early  year. 

In  waste  places,  from  June  until  September  or  later,  we  find 
the  small  clustered  pink  flowers,  which  open  transiently  in  the 
sunshine,  of  the  sleepy  catchfly,  S.  antirrhina. 


MOSS  PINK.*    GROUND  PINK.* 

Phlox  subulata.     Polemonium  Family. 

Stems. — Creeping;  tufted.  Leaves, — Evergreen;  awl-shaped;  crowded; 
small.  Flowers. — Bright  purple-pink  ;  with  a  darker,  or  sometimes  with  a 
white  centre.  Calyx. — With  five  awl-shaped  teeth.  Corolla. — Five-lobed. 
Stamens. — Five;  unequally  inserted  in  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Pistil. — 
One  ;  with  a  three-lobed  style. 

Every  spring  this  little  evergreen  plant  clothes  the  dry  hill- 
sides with  a  glowing  mantle  of  purple-pink.  Southern  New 
York  is  probably  its  most  northerly  range  in  our  Eastern  States. 

Great  masses  of  moss-pinks  may  be  seen  covering  the  rocks 
in  Central  Park  early  in  May. 


PINK   LADY'S  SLIPPER.     MOCCASIN-FLOWER.f 

Cypripedium  acaule.     Orchis  Family.  tpl<  XC 

Scape. — Eight  to  twelve  inches  high;  two-leaved  at  base  ;  downy;  one- 
flowered.  Leaves. — Two  ;  large;  many-nerved  and  plaited  ;  sheathing  at 
the  base.  Flowers. — Solitary;  the  pink,  veiny  lip,  an  inflated  pouch  ;  se- 
pals and  petals  greenish  and  spreading. 

*  Graceful  and  tall  the  slender,  drooping  stem, 

With  two  broad  leaves  below, 
Shapely  the  flower  so  lightly  poised  between, 
And  warm  her  rosy  glow," 

writes  Elaine  Goodale  of  the  moccasin-flower.     This  is  a  blos- 
som whose  charm  never  wanes.     It  seems  to  be  touched  with  the 
spirit  of  the  deep  woods,  and  there  is  a  certain  fitness  in  its  Ind- 
ian name,  for  it  looks  as  though  it  came  direct  from  the  home  of 
*  See  note,  p.  202.         t  For  Plate  XC,  see  frontispiece. 
304 


PINK 

the  red  man.  All  who  have  found  it  in  its  secluded  haunts  will 
sympathize  with  Mr.  Higginson's  feeling  that  each  specimen  is  a 
rarity,  even  though  he  should  find  a  hundred  to  an  acre.  Gray 
assigns  it  to  "  dry  or  moist  woods,"  while  Mr.  Baldwin  writes  : 
"  The  finest  specimens  I  ever  saw  sprang  out  of  cushions  of  crisp 
reindeer  moss  high  up  among  the  rocks  of  an  exposed  hill-side, 
and  again  I  have  found  it  growing  vigorously  in  almost  open 
swamps,  but  nearly  colorless  from  excessive  moisture."  The 
same  writer  quotes  a  lady  who  is  familiar  with  it  in  the  Adiron- 
dacks.  She  says  :  "It  seems  to  have  a  great  fondness  for  decay- 
ing wood,  and  I  often  see  a  whole  row  perclied  like  birds  along 
a  crumbling  log;"  while  I  recall  a  mountain  lake  where  the 
steep  cliffs  rise  from  the  water's  edge ;  here  and  there,  on  a  tiny 
shelf  strewn  with  pine-needles,  can  be  seen  a  pair  of  large  veiny 
leaves,  above  which,  in  early  June,  the  pink  balloon-like  blos- 
som floats  from  its  slender  scape. 


PALE  CORYDALIS. 

CPi.  xci 

Corydalis  glauca.     Fumitory  Family. 

Stem. — Six  inches  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Pale;  divided  into  deli- 
cate leaflets.  Flowers. — Pink  and  yellow  ;  in  loose  clusters.  Calyx. — Of 
two  small,  scale-like  sepals.  Corolla. — Pink,  tipped  with  yellow;  closed 
and  flattened,  of  four  petals,  with  a  short  spur  at  the  base  of  the  upper  petal. 
Stamens. — Six  ;  maturing  before  the  pistil,  thus  avoiding  self-fertilization. 

Pistil. — One. 

» 

From  rocky  clefts  in  the  early  summer  woods  springs  the 
pale  corydalis,  its  graceful  foliage  dim  with  a  whitish  bloom,  and 
its  delicate,  rosy,  yellow-tipped  flowers  betraying,  by  their  odd, 
flat  corollas,  their  kinship  with  the  Dutchman's  breeches  and 
squirrel  corn  of  the  early  year,  as  well  as  with  the  bleeding  hearts 
of  the  garden.  Thoreau  assigns  them  to  the  middle  of  May,  and 
says  they  are  "rarely  met  with,"  which  statement  does  not  coin- 
cide with  the  experience  of  those  who  find  the  rocky  woodlands 
each  summer  abundantly  decorated  with  their  fragile  clusters. 

The  generic  name,  Corydalis,  is  the  ancient  Greek  title  for 

305 


PINK 

the  crested  lark,  and  is  said  to  refer  to  the  crested  seeds  of  this 
genus.  The  specific  title,  glauca,  refers  to  the  pallor  of  leaves 
and  stem. 

CALYPSO. 

Calypso  borealis.     Orchis  Family. 

Leaf. — Single  ;  thin  ;  ovate  or  slightly  heart-shaped  ;  from  a  solid  bulb. 
Flower. — Variegated  pink  and  yellow  ;  lip  sac-shaped  and  inflated;  woolly, 
hairy  inside. 

Gray  calls  this  "  a  little  bog-herb,  ...  a  very  local  and 
beautiful  plant."  I  have  seen  the  Calypso  but  once,*  and  that 
once  in  the  city,  where  it  was  brought  to  me  by  one  who  had 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  know  it  in  all  the  beauty  of  its  home 
environment.  But  we  need  never  regret  that  some  of  the  love- 
liest flowers  are  still  to  be  discovered  for  the  first  time.  The  an- 
ticipation of  such  discoveries  only  lends  a  keener  zest  to  the  ap- 
proach of  spring,  the  season  that  brings  so  much  of  delight  and 
actual  excitement  to  the  flower-lover. 

Mr.  Baldwin,  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  prophet  of  the  Calypso. 
He  celebrates  her  beauty  in  eloquent  pages.  He  says  it  is 
abundant  in  Oregon  and  the  Northwest,  but  so  rare  in  New  Eng- 
land that  we  can  be  well  acquainted  with  its  flora  and  yet  never 
have  seen  it.  Yet  he  tells  us  that  Professor  Scribner  came  on  a 
place  in  Maine,  "  not  a  foot  square,  containing  over  fifty  plants 
in  bloom." 

And  here  is  Mr.  Baldwin's  own  description  of  the  flower's 
home: 

"  Even  when  her  sanctuary  is  discovered  Calypso  does  not 
always  reveal  herself.  The  ground  and  the  fallen  tree-trunks  are 
<  thickly  padded  with  moss  and  embroidered  with  trailing  vines  of 
snowberry  and  Linnaea ;  painted  trilliums  dot  with  their  white 
stars  the  shadows  lying  under  the  tangled  fragrant  branches,  the 
silence  of  the  forest,  disturbed  only  by  the  chirr  of  a  squirrel  or 

*  Since  writing  the  above!  have  found  the  Calypso  growing  abundantly 
on  the  beautiful  slopes  of  the  Canadian  Rockies. 

206 


PLATE  XO 


I»ALE   CORYDALIS.-Gwyafcfo  gtauc*. 


PINK 

the  sudden  jubilance  of  the  oven-bird,  envelops  you  and  seems  the 
proper  accompaniment  of  such  an  expedition.  You  follow,  per- 
haps, a  winding  path  made  by  the  wild  animals  among  the  un- 
derbrush, moving  slowly,  and  you  easily  overlook  the  dainty 
blossom,  nestling  in  some  soft,  damp  nook,  and  poised  lightly 
on  its  stem  as  if  ready  to  flutter  away  between  your  covetous 
fingers. 


PINK    AZALEA.      WILD      HONEYSUCKLE.       PINXTER 
FLOWER.    SWAMP  PINK. 

Rhododendron  nudiflorum.      Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Narrowly  oblong  ;  downy 
underneath  ;  usually  appearing  somewhat  later  than  the  flowers.  Flowers. — 
Pink  ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Minute.  Corolla. — Funnel-shaped  ;  with  five 
long  recurved  lobes.  Stamens. — Five  or  ten  ;  long,  protruding  noticeably. 
Pistil. — One;  long;  protruding. 

Our  May  swamps  and  moist  woods  are  made  rosy  by  masses 
of  the  pink  azalea,  which  is  often  known  as  the  wild  honeysuckle, 
although  not  even  a  member  of  the  Honeysuckle  family.  It  is 
in  the  height  of  its  beauty  before  the  blooming  of  the  laurel, 
and  heralds  the  still  lovelier  pageant  which  is  even  then  in  rapid 
course  of  preparation. 

In  the  last  century  the  name  of  Mayflower  was  given  to  the 
shrub  by  the  Swedes  in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia.  Peter 
Kalm,  the  pupil  of  Linnaeus,  after  whom  our  laurel,  Kalmia, 
is  named,  writes  the  following  description  of  the  shrub  in  his 
"  Travels,"  which  were  published  in  English  in  1771,  and  which 
explains  the  origin  of  one  of  its  titles:  "  Some  of  the  Swedes 
and  Dutch  call  them  Pinxter-bloom  (Whitsunday-flower),  as 
they  really  are  in  bloom  about  Whitsuntide;  and  at  a  distance 
they  have  some  similarity  to  the  Honeysuckle  or  '  Lonicera.' 
.  .  .  Its  flowers  were  now  open  and  added  a  new  ornament 
to  the  woods.  .  .  .  They  sit  in  a  circle  round  the  stem's 
extremity  and  have  either  a  dark  red  or  a  lively  red  color  ;  but 
by  standing  for  some  time  the  sun  bleaches  them,  and  at  last  they 

208 


XCH 


PINK  AZALEA.— Rhododendron  nudiflorunt. 


PINr< 


get  to  a  whitish  hue.  .  .  .  They  have  some  smell,  but  1 
cannot  say  it  is  very  pleasant.  However,  the  beauty  of  the 
flowers  entitles  them  to  a  place  in  every  flower-garden."  While 
our  pink  azalea  could  hardly  be  called  "dark  red"  under  any 
circumstances,  it  varies  greatly  in  the  color  of  its  flowers. 
The  azalea  is  the  national  flower  of  Flanders. 


FRINGED   POLYGALA. 

Poly  gala  paucifolia.     Milkwort  Family. 

Flowering-stems. — Three  or  four  inches  high,  from  long,  prostrate  or 
underground  shoots  which  also  bear  cleistogamous  flowers.  Leaves. — The 
lower,  small  and  scale-like,  scattered  ;  the  upper,  ovate,  and  crowded  at  the 
summit.  Flowers. — Purple-pink,  rarely  white;  rather  large.  Keel  of  Co- 
rolla.— -Conspicuously  fringed  and  crested.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

"  I  must  not  forget  to  mention  that  delicate  and  lovely  flower 
of  May,  the  fringed  polygala.  You  gather  it  when  you  go  for 
the  fragrant  showy  orchis — that  is,  if  you  are  lucky  enough  to 
find  it.  It  is  rather  a  shy  flower,  and  is  not  found  in  every 
wood.  One  day  we  went  up  and  down  through  the  woods  look- 
ing for  it — woods  of  mingled  oak,  chestnut,  pine,  and  hemlock 
— and  were  about  giving  it  up  when  suddenly  we  came  upon 
a  gay  company  of  them  beside  an  old  wood-road.  It  was  as  if  a 
flock  of  small  rose-purple  butterflies  had  alighted  there  on  the 
ground  before  us.  The  whole  plant  has  a  singularly  fresh  and 
tender  aspect.  Its  foliage  is  of  a  slightly  purple  tinge  and  of 
very  delicate  texture.  Not  the  least  interesting  feature  about  the 
plant  is  the  concealed  fertile  flower  which  it  bears  on  a  subter- 
ranean stem,  keeping,  as  it  were,  one  flower  for  beauty  and  one 
for  use." 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  tempt  ' « odorous  comparisons  ' '  by 
endeavoring  to  supplement  the  above  description  of  Mr.  Bur- 
roughs. 


2 1C 


PLATE  XClll 


' 


FRINGED  POLY  GALA.—  Poly  gala  paucifolia. 


Poly  gala  polygnvta. 


FRINGED   POLYGALA.          COMMON   MILKWoRT 
Poly  gala  paucifolia.  Polygala  sanguinea. 


tit 


PIN* 


(PI.  XCIV 

Poly  gala  poly gama.     Milkwort  Family. 

Stems. — Very  leafy;  six  to  nine  inches  high  ;  with  cleistogamous  flowers 
on  underground  runners.  Leaves, — Lance-shaped  "or  oblong.  Flowers. — 
Purple-pink ;  loosely  clustered  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Keel  of  Corolla.  — 
Crested.  Stamens, — Eight.  Pistil. — One. 

Like  its  more  attractive  sister,  the  fringed  polygala,  this  little 
plant  hides  its  most  useful,  albeit  unattractive,  blossoms  in  the 
ground,  where  they  can  fulfil  their  destiny  of  perpetuating  the 
species  without  danger  of  molestation  by  thievish  insects  or  any 
of  the  distractions  incidental  to  a  more  worldly  career.  Ex 
actly  what  purpose  the  little  above-ground  flowers,  which  appear 
so  plentifully  in  sandy  soil  in  July,  are  intended  to  serve,  it  is 
difficult  to  understand. 


SHEEP  LAUREL.  LAMBKILU 

Kalmia  angustifolia.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Narrowly  oblong;  light 
green.  Flowers. — Deep  pink;  in  lateral  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-parted. 
Corolla. — Five-lobed  ;  between  wheel  and  bell-shaped  ;  with  stamens  caught 
in  its  depressions  as  in  the  mountain  laurel.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — 
One. 

This  low  shrub  grows  abundantly  with  the  mountain  laurel., 
bearing  smaller  deep  pink  flowers  at  the  same  season,  and  nar- 
rower, paler  leaves.  It  is  said  to  be  the  most  poisonous  of  the 
genus,  and  to  be  especially  deadly  to  sheep,  while  deer  are  sup- 
posed to  feed  upon  its  leaves  with  impunity. 

The  flower  is  one  of  Thoreau's  favorites.  In  his  journal, 
June  13,  1852,  he  writes:  "  Lambkill  is  out.  I  remember  with 
what  delight  I  used  to  discover  this  flower  in  dewy  mornings. 
All  things  in  this  world  must  be  seen  with  the  morning  dew 
on  them,  must  be  seen  with  youthful,  early  opened,  hopeful 


eyes." 


And  two  years  later,  oddly  enough  on  the  same  day  of  the 

212 


PLATE  XCV 


LAUREL.— Kahnia, 
213 


PINK 

month,  he  finds  them  equally  admirable  at  the  approach  of 
"  dewy  eve."  "  How  beautiful  the  solid  cylinders  of  the  lamb- 
kill  now  just  before  sunset ;  small  ten-sided  rosy-crimson  basins, 
about  two  inches  above  the  recurved,  drooping,  dry  capsules  of 
last  year,  and  sometimes  those  of  the  year  before,  two  inches 
lower. ' ' 

PALE  LAUREL. 

Kalmia  glauca.     Heath  Family. 

A  rather  straggling  shrub  about  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Evergreen; 
opposite ;  oblong ;  with  revolute  margins  and  a  white  bloom  beneath. 
Flowers. — Pink,  one  inch  broad,  in  terminal,  few-flowered  clusters.  Calyx. 
Five-parted.  Corolla. — Five-lobed.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One. 

The  pale  laurel  is  easily  identified  by  its  leaves,  which  are 
noticeable  for  their  revolute  margins  and  for  the  white  bloom  on 
their  under  sides.  The  pretty  pink  flowers  which  are  due  in 
May  or  June  may  be  found  occasionally  much  later  in  cool  north- 
ern localities.  The  shrub  is  most  at  home  in  peat  bogs  and  in 
the  mountains  from  Newfoundland  to  Pennsylvania. 


SHOWY  LADY'S  SLIPPER. 

Cypripedium  spectabile.     Orchis  Family. 

Stems. — Downy;  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Large;  ovate;  pointed; 
plaited.  Flowers. — Large;  the  three  sepals  and  two  lateral  petals,  white, 
the  lip  white,  pink  in  front,  much  inflated. 

My  eager  hunts  for  this,  the  most  beautiful  of  our  orchids, 
have  never  been  crowned  with  success.*  But  once  I  saw  a  fresh 
cluster  of  these  lovely  flowers  in  a  friend's  house,  and  regaled 
myself  with  their  rich,  stately  beauty  and  delicious  fragrance. 
Strangely  enough  I  find  no  mention  of  this  latter  quality  either 
in  Gray  or  in  Mr.  Baldwin's  work  on  orchids. 

Mr.  Baldwin  describes  the  lip  of  this  flower  as  "crimped, 
shell-shaped,  varying  from  a  rich  pink-purple  blotched  with 

*  Since  writing  the  above  I  have  tracked  it  to  its  home. 
214 


PLATE  XCVi 


i 


SHOWY   LADY'S  SLI  PPER.— Cypripcdium  speclabile. 


PINK 

white  to  pure  white."  He  says  that  in  southern  Connecticut  it 
may  be  found  by  the  2oth  of  June,  but  that  the  White  Moun- 
tains rarely  afford  it  before  July.  It  is  due  in  the  Berkshires, 
Mass.,  late  in  June. 

It  grows  in  peat-bogs,  and  its  height  and  foliage  strongly  sug- 
gest the  false  hellebore. 

This  flower  is  one  of  a  species  whose  life  is  threatened  owing 
to  the  oft-lamented  ruthlessness  of  the  "  flower-picker." 

Near  Lenox,  Mass.,  there  is  one  locality  where  the  showy 
lady's  slipper  can  be  found.  Fortunately,  one  would  suppose, 
this  spot  is  known  only  to  a  few;  but  as  one  of  the  few  who  pos- 
sess the  secret  is  a  country  boy  who  uproots  these  plants  and  sells 
them  by  the  dozen  in  Lenox  and  Pittsfield,  the  time  is  not  distant 
when  the  flower  will  no  longer  be  found  in  the  shadowy  silences 
of  her  native  haunts,  but  only,  robbed  of  half  her  charm, 
languishing  in  stiff  rows  along  the  garden-path. 


AMERICAN  CRANBERRY. 

[PI.  XCVlJt 

Vaccinium  macrocarpon.     Heath  Family. 

Stems. — Slender;  trailing;  one  to  four  feet  long.  Leaves. — Oblong; 
obtuse  ;  whitened  beneath.  Flowers. — Pale  pink ;  nodding.  Calyx. — With 
short  teeth.  Corolla. — Four-parted.  Stamens. — Eight  or  ten  ;  protruding. 
Fruit. — A  large,  acid,  red  berry. 

In  the  peat-bogs 'of  our  Northeastern  States  we  may  look  in 
June  for  the  pink  nodding  flowers,  and  in  late  summer  for  the 
large  red  berries  of  this  well-known  and  useful  plant. 

The  small  cranberry,  V.  oxycoccus,  bears  a  much  smaller 
fruit.  Its  ovate,  acute  leaves  have  strongly  revolute  margins 
and  are  whitish  beneath.  The  acid  berries  are  edible  when 
cooked. 

The  mountain  cranberry,  V.  Vitis-Idaa,  is  found  along  the 
coast  and  mountains  of  New  England,  inland  to  Lake  Superior 
and  far  northward.  Its  smooth,  shining,  obovate  leaves  also 
have  revolute  margins.  Below  they  are  dotted  with  black, 

3*5 


I»INK 

bristly  points.  The  blossoms  grow  in  short  terminal  clusters. 
These  berries  also  are  smaller  than  those  of  the  common  cran- 
berry. 

ADDER'S   MOUTH. 

Pogonia  ophioglossoides.     Orchis  Family. 

Stem, — Six  to  nine  inches  high;  from  a  fibrous  root.  Leaves. — An 
oval  or  lance-oblong  one  near  the  middle  of  the  stem,  and  a  smaller  or  bract- 
like  one  near  the  terminal  flower,  occasionally  one  or  two  others,  with  a 
flower  in  their  axils.  Flower. — Pale  pink,  sometimes  white  ;  sweet-scented; 
one  inch  long ;  lip  bearded  and  fringed. 

Mr.  Baldwin  maintains  that  there  is  no  wild  flower  of  as  pure 
a  pink  as  this  unless  it  be  the  Sabbatia.  Its  color  has  also  been 
described  as  a  "  peach-blossom  red."  As  already  mentioned, 
the  plant  is  found  blossoming  in  bogs  during  the  early  summer 
in  company  with  the  Calopogons  and  sundews.  Its  violet-like 
fragrance  greatly  enhances  its  charm. 

The  botanists  have  great  difficulty  at  times  in  describing  the 
colors  of  certain  flowers,  and  when  the  blossoms  look  to  one  eye 
pink,  to  another  purple,  they  compromise  and  give  the  color  as 
"pink-purple."  It  has  been  no  easy  matter  to  settle  satisfac- 
torily the  positions  in  this  book  of  many  of  the  flowers,  more  es- 
pecially as  the  individuals  vary  constantly  in  depth  of  color,  and 
even  in  actual  color. 

July  7,  1852,  Thoreau  devotes  a  page  in  his  journal  to  some 
of  these  doubtful-colored  flowers,  whose  heathenish  titles  excite 
his  ire.  "  Pogonias  are  still  abundant  in  the  meadows,  but  are- 
thusas  I  have  not  lately  seen.  .  .  .  The  very  handsome 
'  pink- purple '  *  flowers  of  the  Calopogon  pulchellus  enrich  the 
grass  all  around  the  edge  of  Hubbard's  blueberry  swamp,  and  are 
now  in  their  prime.  The  Arethusa  bulbosa,  '  crystalline  purple,' 
Pogonia  ophioglossoides,  snake-mouthed  (tongued)  arethusa,  '  pale 
purple/  and  the  Calopogon  pukhellus,  grass  pink,  'pink-purple,' 

*  As  the  Calopogon  and  Pogonia  seem  to  me  far  more  pink  than  purple, 
they  are  placed  in  the  Pink  Section.  The  Arethusa  and  the  purple-fringed 
orchis  will  be  found  in  the  Purple  Section 

216 


PLATE   XCVII 


ADDER'S    MOUTH.— Pogonia  ophioglossoides. 

AMERICAN    CRANBERRY.  —  Vaccinium  macrocarp?; 

217 


PINK 


make  one  family  in  my  mind  (next  to  the  purple  orchis,  or  with 
it),  being  flowers  par  excellence,  all  flowers,  naked  flowers,  and 
difficult,  at  least  the  calopogon,  to  preserve.  But  they  are 
flowers,  excepting  the  first,  at  least,  without  a  name.  Pogonia  ! 
Calopogon  !  They  would  blush  still  deeper  if  they  knew  the 
names  man  has  given  them.  .  .  .  The  pogonia  has  a  strong 
snaky  odor.  The  first  may  perhaps  retain  its  name,  arethusa, 
from  the  places  in  which  it  grows,  and  the  other  two  deserve  the 
names  of  nymphs,  perhaps  of  the  class  called  Naiades.  .  .  . 
To  be  sure,  in  a  perfect  flower  there  will  be  proportion  between 
the  flowers  and  leaves,  but  these  are  fair  and  delicate,  nymph- 
like." 


Calopogon  pulchellus.     Orchis  Family. 

Scape. — Rising  about  one  foot  from  a  small  solid  bulb.  Leaf. — Linear; 
grass-like.  Flcnvers. — Two  to  six  on  each  scape  ;  purple-pink  ;  about  one 
inch  broad  ;  the  lip  as  if  hinged  at  its  insertion,  bearded  toward  the  summit 
with  white,  yellow,  and  purple  hairs.  The  peculiarity  of  this  orchid  is  that 
the  ovary  is  not  twisted,  and  consequently  the  lip  is  on  the  upper  instead  of 
the  lower  side  of  the  flower. 

In  the  bogs  of  early  summer,  side  by  side  with  the  glistening 
sundew,  and  the  delicate  adder's  *nouth,  one  finds  these  lovely 
flowers. 

I  remember  well  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  the  Calopogon  at 
home  (for  previously  specimens  had  been  sent  to  me).  It  was 
one  morning  late  in  June,  while  taking  a  walk  with  a  friend  and 
her  little  girl.  We  had  just  crossed  a  wet  meadow,  bright  with 
the  fronds  of  the  Osmunda,  the  rank  foliage  of  the  false  hellebore, 
and  the  canary-yellow  of  the  day-blooming  evening  primrose. 
As  we  reached  the  comparatively  firm  ground  which  skirted  the 
woods,  our  eyes  fell  upon  a  patch  of  feathery  grasses  and  radiant 
Calopogons. 

Knowing  only  too  well  the  childish  instinct  immediately  to 
rush  upon  such  a  mass  of  floral  loveliness,  my  first  thought  was 
*Q  shield  with  outstretched  arms  the  delicate  beauties,  hesitating 

218 


PLATE  XCVlll 


Calopogon  pulchellus. 


PLATE   XCIX 


SPREADING    DOGBANE.— Apocynum  androscemifolium. 


PINK 

to  pick  even  a  single  blossom  until  we  had  feasted  our  eyes,  for 
a  time  at  least,  upon  their  unruffled  grace. 

After  all,  how  much  better  than  to  bear  away  a  burden  of 
blossoms,  which  nearly  always  seem  to  leave  half  their  beauty 
behind  them,  is  it  to  retain  a  memory  of  some  enchanted  spot 
unrifled  of  its  charm. 

Then,  too,  the  prevalent  lack  of  sense  of  self-restraint  in  the 
picking  and  uprooting  of  flowers  and  ferns  is  resulting  in  the  ex- 
termination of  many  valuable  species.  This  is  especially  true  in 
the  case  of  the  orchids.  It  is  devoutly  to  be  wished  that  every 
true  lover  of  our  woods  and  fields  would  set  his  face  sternly 
against  the  ruthless  habit,  regardless  of  the  pleas  that  may  be 
offered  in  excuse. 

This  picking  and  uprooting  tendency  does  not  begin  to 
threaten  as  seriously  the  future  of  our  really  common  flowers 
(some  of  which,  by  the  way,  are  so  unprincipled  themselves  as 
almost  to  deserve  extermination)  as  it  does  that  of  our  rarer  and 
more  beautiful  species.  Many  of  these  will  disappear  from  the 
country,  it  is  to  be  feared,  if  some  counter-influence  is  not  ex- 
erted, and  if  it  is  not  remembered  that  in  the  case  of  annuals  and 
biennials  as  much  injury  may  be  done  to  a  species  by  the  picking 
of  the  seed-yielding  flower  as  by  the  uprooting  of  the  plant  itself. 


SPREADING  DOGBANE. 

[PI.  XCIX 

Apocynum  androscemifolium.     Dogbane  Family. 

Stems. — Erect;  branching;  two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite; 
oval.  Flowers. — Rose-color,  veined  with  deep  pink;  loosely  clustered. 
Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Small;  bell-shaped;  five-cleft.  Stamens. 
— Five,  slightly  adherent  to  the  pistil.  Pistil. — Two  ovaries  surmounted  by 
a  large,  two-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. — Two  long  and  slender  pods. 

The  flowers  of  the  dogbane,  though  small  and  inconspicuous, 
are  very  beautiful  if  closely  examined.  The  deep  pink  veining 
of  the  corolla  suggests  nectar,  and  the  insect- visitor  is  not  mis- 
led, for  at  its  base  are  five  nectar- bearing  glands.  The  two  long, 
slender  seed-pods  which  result  from  a  single  blossom  seem  inap- 

220 


PLATE  C 


Fruit 
PURPLE   FLOWERING    RASPBERRY.— Rubus  odoratus. 

221 


PINK 

propriately  large,  often  appearing  while  the  plant  is  still  in 
flower.  Rafmesque  states  that  from  the  stems  may  be  obtained 
a  thread  similar  to  hemp  which  can  be  woven  into  cloth,  from 
the  pods,  cotton,  and  from  the  blossoms,  sugar.  Its  generic  and 
one  of  its  English  titles  arose  from  the  belief,  which  formerly 
prevailed,  that  it  was  poisonous  to  dogs.  The  plant  is  con- 
stantly found  growing  in  roadside  thickets,  with  bright,  pretty 
foliage,  and  blossoms  that  appear  in  early  summer. 


PURPLE-FLOWERING   RASPBERRY. 

[PI.  C 
Rubus  odoratus.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Shrubby,  three  to  five  feet  high ;  branching ;  branches  bristly 
and  glandular.  Leaves. — Three  to  five-lobed,  the  middle  lobe  prolonged. 
Flowers. — Purplish-pink  ;  large  and  showy  ;  two  inches  broad.  Calyx. — 
Five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — 
Numerous.  Fruit. — Reddish,  resembling  the  garden  raspberry. 

This  flower  betrays  its  relationship  to  the  wild  rose,  and 
might  easily  be  mistaken  for  it,  although  a  glance  at  the  undi- 
vided leaves  would  at  once  correct  such  an  error.  The  plant  is 
a  decorative  one  when  covered  with  its  showy  blossoms,  con- 
stantly arresting  our  attention  along  the  wooded  roadsides  in 
June  and  July. 


BASIL. 

Calamintha  Clinopodhim.      Mint  Family. 

Hairy;  erect;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  oval;  scarce- 
ly toothed.  Flower. — Small ;  pink  or  purplish  ;  in  close  globular  clusters 
with  noticeably  long,  hairy  bracts.  Calyx. — Two-lipped;  upper  lip  three, 
the  lower  two-cleft.  Corolla. — Two-lipped ;  upper  lip  erect,  sometimes 
notched;  the  lower  spreading;  three-parted.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — 
One,  with  two-lobed  style.  Ovary. — Deeply  four-lobed. 

Bordering  the  woods  and  fields  in  midsummer  we  notice  the 
rounded,  silky-bracted  flower-clusters  of  the  basil. 


222 


PLATE  Cl 


PHILADELPHIA  FLEABAN  E.—Erigeron  Pliiladdphicus. 


PINK 


DEPTFORD  PINK. 

Dianthus  Armeria.     Pink  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  long  and  narrow;  hairy. 
Flowers.— Pink,  with  white  dots;  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-toothed,  cylin- 
drical; with  awl-shaped  bracts  beneath.  Corolla.—  Of  five  small  petals. 
Stamens.—  Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

In  July  and  August  we  find  these  little  flowers  in  our  Eastern 
fields.  The  generic  name,  which  signifies  Jove's  own  flower, 
hardly  applies  to  these  inconspicuous  blossoms.  Perhaps  it  was 
originally  bestowed  upon  D.  caryophyllus,  a  large  and  fragrant 
English  member  of  the  genus,  which  was  the  origin  of  our  gar- 
den carnation. 


PHILADELPHIA   FLEABANE. 

[PI.  CI 

Erigeron  Philadelphicus.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy,  leafy.  Leaves. — Oblong,  the  upper  rather  smooth,  clasp- 
ing by  a  heart-shaped  base,  almost  entire  ;  the  lowest  wedge-shaped,  toothed. 
Flcnver- heads. — Small,  clustered,  with  numerous  very  narrow,  pinkish  ray- 
flowers  and  a  centre  of  yellow  disk  flowers. 

This  often  attractive  member  of  the  fleabane  group  is  com* 
monly  found  in  moist  ground  from  June  to  August. 


WILD  MORNING  GLORY.     HEDGE  BINDWEED. 

Convolvulus  Americanus.      Convolvulus  Family. 

Stem. — Twining  or  trailing.  Leaves. — Somewhat  arrow-shaped.  Flow- 
ers.— Pink.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals  enclosed  in  two  broad  leafy  bracts. 
Corolla.—  Five-lobed  ;  bell-shaped.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with 
two  stigmas. 

Many  an  unsightly  heap  of  rubbish  left  by  the  roadside  is 
hidden  by  the  delicate  pink  bells  of  the  hedge  bindweed,  which 
again  will  clamber  over  the  thickets  that  line  the  streams  and 
about  the  tumbled  stone-wall  that  marks  the  limit  of  the  pasture. 

223 


PINK 

The  pretty  flowers  at  once  suggest  the  morning-glory,  to  which 
they  are  closely  allied. 

The  common  European  bindweed,  C.  arvensis,  has  white  or 
pinkish  flowers,  without  bracts  beneath  the  calyx,  and  a  low  pro- 
cumbent or  twining  stem.  It  has  taken  possession  of  many  of 
our  old  fields,  where  it  spreads  extensively  and  proves  trouble- 
some to  farmers. 


CLAMMY  CUPHEA.    WAX-WEED. 

Cuphea  viscosissima.      Loosestrife  Family. 

Stem. — Sticky;  hairy;  branching.  Leaves. — Usually  opposite;  roundec 
lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Deep  purplish  pink ;  solitary  or  in  racemes. 
Calyx. — Tubular,  slightly  spurred  at  the  base  on  the  upper  side,  six- 
toothed  at  the  apex,  usually  with  a  slight  projection  between  each  tooth. 
Corolla. — Small;  of  six  unequal  petals.  Stamens. — Eleven  or  twelve,  of 
unequal  sizes,  in  two  sets.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma. 

In  the  dry  fields  and  along  the  roadsides  of  late  summer  this 
plant  is  found  in  blossom.  Its  rather  wrinkled  purplish-pink 
petals  and  unequal  stamens  suggest  the  flowers  of  the  spiked 
loosestrife,  L.  Salic  aria,  to  which  it  is  closely  related. 


HEMP  NETTLE. 

Galeopsis  Tetrahit.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Bristly-hairy;  swollen  below  the  joints;  branching.  Leaves.— 
Opposite ;  pinkish ;  oval ;  coarsely  toothed.  Flowers. — Small ;  pink  or 
variegated ;  in  whorls  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-toothed ; 
the  teeth  spiny-tipped.  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  the  lower  lip  three-cleft; 
spreading ;  sometimes  yellowish  with  a  purple  spot.  Stamens.  —  Four. 
Pistil. — One,  with  two-lobed  style.  Ovary. — Deeply  four-lobed. 

Somewhat  late  in  summer  the  hemp  nettle  overruns  waste 
places  near  civilization,  this  plant  being  one  of  our  emigrants 
from  Europe. 


224 


PLATE  Cll 


HERB  ROBERT.— Geranium  Robertianum. 


PlNK 


HERB  ROBERT. 

IPl.  CH 

Geranium  Robertianum.     Geranium  Family. 

Stem. — Forking ;  slightly  hairy.  Leaves. — Three-divided,  the  divisions 
again  dissected.  Flowers.  —  Purple-pink;  small.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals. 
Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles 
which  split  apart  in  fruit. 

From  June  until  October  many  of  our  shaded  woods  and 
glens  are  abundantly  decorated  by  the  bright  blossoms  of  the 
herb  Robert.  The  reddish  stalks  of  the  plant  have  won  it  the 
name  of  "  red  -shanks  "  in  the  Scotch  Highlands.  Its  strong 
scent  is  caused  by  a  resinous  secretion  which  exists  in  several  of 
the  geraniums.  In  some  species  this  resin  is  so  abundant  that 
the  stems  will  burn  like  torches,  yielding  a  powerful  and  pleasant 
perfume.  The  common  name  is  said  to  have  been  given  the 
plant  on  account  of  its  supposed  virtue  in  a  disease  which  was 
known  as  "  Robert's  plague,"  after  Robert,  Duke  of  Normandy. 
In  some  of  the  early  writers  it  is  alluded  to  as  the  "  holy  herb  of 
Robert." 

In  fruit  the  styles  of  this  plant  split  apart  with  an  elasticity 
which  serves  to  project  the  seeds  to  a  distance,  it  is  said,  of 
twenty-five  feet. 


COMMON  MILKWORT. 

fpi.  XCIV 

Polygala  sanguinea.     Milkwort  Family. 

Stem. — Six  inches  to  a  foot  high;  sparingly  branched  above;  leafy  to  the 
top.  Leaves. — Oblong-linear.  Flowers. — Growing  in  round  or  oblong 
heads  which  are  somewhat  clover-like  in  appearance ;  bright  pink  or  almost 
red,  occasionally  paler.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals,  three  of  which  are  small 
and  often  greenish,  while  the  two  inner  ones  are  much  larger  and  colored 
like  the  petals.  Corolla. — Of  three  petals  connected  with  each  other,  the 
lower  one  keel-shaped.  Stamens. — Six  or  eight.  Pistil, — One.  (Flowers 
too  difficult  to  be  analyzed  by  the  non-botanist.) 

This  pretty  little  plant  abounds  in  moist  and  also  sandy 
places,  growing  on  mountain  heights  as  well  as  in  the  salt  mead- 
ows which  skirt  the  sea.  In  late  summer  its  bright  flower-heads 

226 


PLATE  CM- 


MOUNTAIN    FRMG£.—A<tlumta  cirrhosa. 
227 


PINK 


gleam  vividly  through  the  grasses,  and  from  their  form  and  color 
might  almost  be  mistaken  for  pink  clover.  Occasionally  they 
are  comparatively  pale  and  inconspicuous. 


MOSS    POLYGALA. 

Polygala  cruciata.      Milkwort  Family. 

Stems. — Three  to  ten  inches  high ;  almost  winged  at  the  angles,  with 
spreading,  opposite  leaves  and  branches.  Leaves.  —  Linear ;  nearly  all 
whorled  in  fours.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  purplish-pink ;  growing  in  short, 
thick  spikes  which  terminate  the  branches. 

There  is  something  very  moss-like  in  the  appearance  of  this 
little  plant  which  blossoms  in  late  summer.  It  is  found  near 
moist  places  and  salt  marshes  along  the  coast,  being  very  com  • 
mon  in  parts  of  New  England. 


MOUNTAIN  FRINGE.    CLIMBING  FUMITORY. 

[PI.  cm 

Adlumia  cirrhosa.      Fumitory  Family. 

Leaves. — Thrice-pinnate,  with  cut-lobed  leaflets.  Flowers,  —  Pinkish, 
drooping  in  full  clusters.  Calyx. — Of  two  small  sepals.  Corolla. — Flat- 
tened, closed.  Stamens. — In  two  sets  of  three  each.  Pistil. — One. 

The  root-leaves  of  this  plant  remind  one  of  the  meadow-rue, 
or  remotely  of  maiden -hair  fern.  From  among  these  root-leaves 
rises  the  vine  which  climbs  by  means  of  slender  leaf-stalks  over 
the  bushes  and  tall  golden  rod  or  aster  stalks.  The  foliage  is  ex- 
tremely delicate,  and  the  clustered  pinkish  flowers  recall  the  blos- 
soms of  their  kinsfolk  the  pale  corydalis  and  the  Dutchman's 
breeches.  This  dainty  little  plant  festooning  the  undergrowth 
is  always  a  delight  when  found  growing  in  the  woods,  and  it  is 
so  charming  that  one  is  not  surprised  to  learn  from  Gray  that  it 
is  "  often  cultivated." 


FiNK 


COMMON  MILKWEED. 

Asclepias  Cornuti;     Milkweed  Family. 

Stem. — Tall,  stout;  downy;  with  a  milky  juice.  Leaves. — Generally 
opposite  or  whorled  ;  the  upper  sometimes  scattered  ;  large  ;  oblong  ;  pale  ; 
minutely  downy  underneath.  Flowers. — Dull  purplish-pink  ;  clustered  at  the 
summit  and  along  the  sides  of  the  stem.  (These  flowers  are  too  difficult  to 
be  successfully  analyzed  by  the  non-botanist.)  Calyx. — Five-parted;  the 
divisions  small  and  reflexed.  Corolla. — Deeply  five-parted ;  the  divisions 
reflexed ;  above  them  a  crown  of  five  hooded  nectaries,  each  containing  an 
incurved  horn.  Stamens. — Five ;  inserted  on  the  base  of  the  corolla  ;  united 
with  each  other  and  enclosing  the  pistils.  Pistils. — Properly  two;  enclosed 
by  the  stamens,  surmounted  by  a  large  five-angled  disk.  Fruit. — Two 
pods,  one  of  which  is  large  and  full  of  silky-tufted  seeds,  the  other  often 
stunted. 

This  is  probably  the  commonest  representative  of  this  strik- 
ing and  beautiful  native  family.  The  tall,  stout  stems,  large, 
pale  leaves,  dull  pink  clustered  flowers  which  appear  in  July, 
and  later  the  puffy  pods  filled  with  the  silky- tufted  seeds  beloved 
of  imaginative  children,  are  familiar  to  nearly  everyone  who 
spends  a  portion  of  the  year  in  the  country.  The  young  sprouts 
are  said  to  make  an  excellent  pot-herb ;  the  silky  -Hairs  of  the 
seed-pods  have  been  used  for  the  stuffing  of  pillows  and  mat- 
tresses, and  can  be  mixed  with  flax  or  wool  and  woven  to  ad- 
vantage ;  while  paper  has  been  manufactured  from  the  stout  stalks. 

The  four-leaved  milkweed,  A.  quadrifolia,  is  the  most  deli- 
cate member  of  the  family,  with  fragrant  rose-tinged  flowers 
which  appear  on  the  dry  wooded  hill-sides  quite  early  in  June, 
and  slender  stems  Vhich  are  usually  leafless  below,  and  with  one 
or  two  whorls  and  one  or  two  pairs  of  oval,  taper-pointed  leaves 
above. 

The  swamp  milkweed,  A.  incarnafa,  grows  commonly  in 
moist  places.  Its  very  leafy  stems  are  two  or  three  feet  high,  with 
narrowly  oblong,  pointed  leaves.  Its  intense  purple-pink  flowers 
gleam  from  the  wet  meadows  nearly  all  summer.  They  are 
smaller  than  those  of  the  purple  milkweed,  A.  purpurascens, 
which  abounds  in  dry  ground,  and  which  may  be  classed  among 
the  deep  pink  or  purple  flowers  according  to  the  eye  of  the  be- 
holder. 

229 


PINK 


SAND   SPURREY. 

Buda  rubra.     Pink  Family. 

"Two to  six  inches,  often  forming  dense  little  mats."     Leaves. — Linear, 
flat,  scarcely  fleshy.     Flowers. — Bright  pink  ;  small.     Calyx. — Of  five  sepals 
Corolla. — Of  five  petals.      Stamens. — Two  to  ten.     Pistil. — One,  with  three 
styles. 

This  little  plant  is  found  growing  in  sandy  places  along  the 
roadside.  Its  tiny,  bright-hued  blossoms  are  very  dainty. 

The  salt-marsh  sand-spurrey,  B.  marina,  is  a  much  fleshier 
plant  with  paler  flowers.  It  is  found  in  salt  marshes  along  the 
coast. 


FIREWEED.     GREAT  WILLOW   HERB. 

Epilobium  angustifolium.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Four  to  seven  feet  high.  Leaves. — Scattered;  lance-shaped; 
willow-like.  Flowers. — Purplish-pink;  large;  in  a  long  raceme  the  upper 
part  of  which  is  often  nodding.  Calyx. — Four-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  four 
petals.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  four-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. 
— A  pod  with  silky-tufted  seeds. 

In  midsummer  this  striking  plant  begins  to  mass  its  deep- 
hued  blossoms  along  the  roadsides  and  low  meadows.  It  is  sup- 
posed to  flourish  with  especial  abundance  in  land  that  has  newly 
been  burned  over;  hence,  its  common  name  of  fireweed.  Its 
willow-like  foliage  has  given  it  its  other  English  title.  The 
likeness  between  the  blossoms  of  this  plant  and  those  of  the 
evening  primrose  betray  their  kinship.  When  the  stamens  of 
the  fireweed  first  mature  and  discharge  their  pollen  the  still  im- 
mature style  is  curved  backward  and  downward  with  its  stigmas 
closed.  Later  it  straightens  and  lengthens  to  its  full  dimensions, 
so  spreading  its  four  stigmas  as  to  be  in  position  to  receive  the 
pollen  of  another  flower  from  the  visiting  bee. 


230 


PLATE  CIV 


FlREWEED  — Epilobium  angustifolium> 
231 


SMALL  WILLOW-HERB. 

Epilobium  coloratum.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Rather  large  ;  lance-shaped ;  sharply 
toothed.  Flowers.  —  Pale  pink  ;  small ;  more  or  less  nodding,  resembling  in 
structure  those  of  the  hairy  willow-herb.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  club-shaped 
stigma. 

The  small  willow-herb  is  abundant  in  wet  places  in  summer. 


HAIRY  WILLOW  HERB. 

Epilobium  hirsutum. — Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Three  to  five  feet  high.  Stem. — Densely  hairy;  stout;  branching. 
Leaves. — Mostly  opposite  ;  lance-oblong;  finely  toothed.  Flowers. — Pink, 
in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves,  or  in  a  leafy,  short  raceme.  Calyx. — Four 
or  five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  four-parted  stigma. 

The  hairy  willow-herb  is  found  in  waste  places,  blossoming 
in  midsummer.     It  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe. 


STEEPLE-BUSH.    HARDHACK. 

Spir&a  tomentosa.     Rose  Family. 

Stems. — Very  woolly.  Leaves. — Alternate;  oval;  toothed.  Flowers.-' 
Small;  pink;  in  pyramidal  clusters.  Calyx.  —  Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of 
five  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five  to  eight. 

The  pink  spires  of  this  shrub  justify  its  rather  unpoetic  name 
of  steeple-bush.  It  is  closely  allied  to  the  meadow-sweet,  blos- 
soming with  it  in  low  ground  during  the  summer.  It  differs 
from  that  plant  in  the  color  of  its  flowers  and  in  the  woolliness 
of  its  stems  and  the  lower  surface  of  its  leaves. 


23* 


PLATE 


STEEPLE-BUSH.— Spira>a  totnentot* 
22? 


PINK  KNOTWEED. 

Polygonum  Pennsylvanicum.     Buckwheat  Family. 

One  to  four  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — Alternate;  lance 
shaped.  Flowers, — Bright  pink;  growing  in  thick,  short,  erect  spikes. 
Calyx. — Mostly  five-parted ;  the  divisions  petal -like,  pink.  Corolla. — None. 
Stamens. — Usually  eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-cleft  style. 

In  late  summer  this  plant  can  hardly  escape  notice.  Its 
erect  pink  spikes  direct  attention  to  some  neglected  corner  in 
the  garden  or  brighten  the  field  and  roadside.  The  rosy  divis- 
ions of  the  calyx  persist  till  after  the  fruit  has  formed,  pressing 
closely  against  the  dark  seed-vessel  within. 


AMPHIBIOUS  KNOTWEED. 

Polygonum  amphibium.     Buckwheat  Family. 

Growing  in  water  or  in  mud.  Leaves. — Usually  floating ;  thick ;  smooth 
and  shining  above ;  mostly  long-stemmed ;  somewhat  oblong  or  lance-shaped. 
Flowers. — Small  ;  bright  pink,  thickly  clustered  in  a  close  spike.  Calyx.— 
Five-parted;  petal-like;  pink.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Five.  Pis- 
///._One,  with  a  two-cleft  style. 

This  plant,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  found  both  on  land  and 
in  the  water,  but  usually  it  may  be  considered  an  aquatic.  Its 
rose-colored  flower-clusters  tremble  in  the  current  of  the  stream 
and  flush  the  borders  of  many  a  pond. 


PURPLE   LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lythrum  Salicaria.     Loosestrife  Family. 

Stem. — Tall  and  slender ;  four-angled.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped,  with  a 
heart-shaped  base  ;  sometimes  whorled  in  threes.  Flowers.—  Deep  purple- 
pink  ;  crowded  and  whorled  in  an  interrupted  spike.  Calyx. — Five  to  seven - 
toothed ;  with  little  processes  between  the  teeth.  Corolla.— Of  five  or  six 
somewhat  wrinkled  petals.  Stamens.— Usually  twelve ;  in  two  sets,  six 
longer  and  six  shorter.  Pistil. — One,  varying  in  size  in  the  different  blos- 
soms, being  of  three  different  lengths. 

One  who  has  seen  an  inland  marsh  in  August  aglow  with 
his  beautiful  plant  is  almost  ready  to  forgive  the  Old  Country 


PLATE  CVI 


PINK  KNOT  WEED.—  Polygonum  Pennsylvanieum. 


CV11 


PURPLE   LOOSESTRIFE.— Lythrum  Salicaria. 
235 


PiNK 

some  of  the  many  pests  she  has  shipped  to  our  shores  in  view  of 
this  radiant  acquisition.  The  botany  locates  it  anywhere  be- 
tween Nova  Scotia  and  Delaware.  It  may  be  seen  in  the  per- 
fection of  its  beauty  along  the  marshy  shores  of  the  Hudson  and 
in  the  swamps  of  the  Wallkill  Valley. 

When  we  learn  that  these  flowers  are  called  ' « long  purples  ' : 
by  the  English  country  people,  the  scene  of  Ophelia's  tragic 
death  rises  before  us : 

"  There  is  a  willow  grows  aslant  a  brook, 
That  shows  his  hoar  leaves  in  the  glassy  stream, 
There  with  fantastic  garlands  did  she  come, 
Of  crow-flowers,  nettles,  daisies,  and  long  purples 
That  liberal  shepherds  give  a  grosser  name, 
But  our  cold  maids  do  dead  men's  fingers  call  them." 

Dr.  Prior,  however,  says  that  it  is  supposed  that  Shakespeare  in- 
tended to  designate  the  purple  flowering  orchis,  O.  mascula,  which 
is  said  closely  to  resemble  the  showy  orchis  of  our  spring  woods. 
The  flowers  of  the  purple  loosestrife  are  especially  interesting 
to  botanists  on  account  of  their  trimorphism,  which  word  signifies 
occurring  in  three  forms,  and  refers  to  the  stamens  and  pistils, 
which  vary  in  size  in  the  different  blossoms,  being  of  three  dif- 
ferent lengths,  the  pollen  from  any  given  set  of  stamens  being 
especially  fitted  to  fertilize  a  pistil  of  corresponding  length. 


MEADOW-BEAUTY.     DEER-GRASS. 

Rhexia  Virginica.      Melastoma  Family. 

Stem. — Square  ;  with  wing-like  angles.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  narrowly 
oval.  Flowers. — Purplish-pink;  clustered.  Calyx-tube.  —  Urn-shaped  ;  four- 
cleft  at  the  apex.  Corolla. — Of  four  large,  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — 
Eight,  with  long,  curved  anthers.  Pistil. — One. 

It  is. always  a  pleasant  surprise  to  happen  upon  a  bright  patch 
of  these  delicate  deep-hued  flowers  along  the  marshes  or  in  the 
sandy  fields  of  midsummer.  Their  fragile  beauty  is  of  that  order 
which  causes  it  to  seem  natural  that  they  should  belong  to  a 
genus  which  is  the  sole  northern  representative  of  a  tropical  fam- 

236 


PLATE   CVIH 


MEADOW-BEAUTY.— Rhexia  Virginica. 


2*7 


gtNK 

ily.  In  parts  of  New  England  they  grow  in  profusion,  while  in 
Arkansas  the  plant  is  said  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the  deer, 
hence  one  of  its  common  names.  The  flower  has  been  likened 
to  a  scarlet  evening  primrose,  and  there  is  certainly  a  suggestion 
of  the  evening  primrose  in  the  four-rounded,  slightly  heart-shaped 
petals.  The  protruding  stamens,  with  their  long  yellow  anthers, 
are  conspicuous. 

Of  the  plant  in  the  late  year  Thoreau  writes :  - "  The  scarlet 
leaves  and  stems  of  the  rhexia,  sometime  out  of  flower,  make  al- 
most as  bright  a  patch  in  the  meadows  now  as  the  flowers  did. 
Its  seed-vessels  are  perfect  little  cream-pitchers  of  graceful  form." 

LOPSEED. 

Phryma  Leptostachya.     Vervain  Family. 

Two  to  three  feet  high ;  with  slender,  branching  stems.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite ;  oval ;  coarsely  toothed ;  the  lower  long-stemmed.  Flowers. — Pinkish; 
small,  in  long,  slender  terminal  spikes.  Calyx. — Two-lipped ;  the  upper  lip 
of  three  sharp  teeth  ;  the  lower  shorter,  twice  toothed.  Corolla. — Two-lipped; 
upper  lip  small,  notched  ;  the  lower  much  larger  ;  three-lobed.  Stamens.  — 
Four  ;  in  two  pairs  of  unequal  length  ;  within  corolla.  Pistil. — One  ;  with 
a  slender  style  and  two-lobed  stigma. 

Very  noticeable  in  summer  in  somewhat  open  woods  are  the 
slender,  branching  clusters  made  up  of  the  small  pink  flowers  of 
the  lopseed. 

Later  the  hooked,  slender  teeth  of  the  ribbed  calyx  close 
about  the  one-seeded  fruit.  The  branching  fruit-clusters  then 
make  this  plant  almost  as  conspicuous  as  during  its  flowering 
season. 

SEA  PINK. 

Sabbatia  stellaris.     Gentian  Family. 

;  Stem.  —Slender ;  loosely  branched.  Leaves. — Opposite ;  oblong  to  lance- 
shaped  ;  the  upper  narrowly  linear.  Flowers. — Large ;  deep  pure  pink  to 
almost  white.  Calyx. — Usually  five-parted ;  the  lobes  long  and  slender. 
Corolla. — Usually  five-parted ;  conspicuously  marked  with  red  and  yellow 
in  the  centre.  Stamens. — Usually  five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two-cleft  style. 

The  advancing  year  has  few  fairer  sights  to  show  us  than  a 
salt  meadow  flushed  with  these  radiant  blossoms.  They  are  so 

238 


PLATE  CIX 


LARGE  SEA  PINK.— Sabbatia  Moroides. 


abundant,  so  deep-hued,  so  delicate  !  One  feels  tempted  to  lie 
down  among  the  pale  grasses  and  rosy  stars  in  the  sunshine  of 
the  August  morning  and  drink  his  fill  of  their  beauty.  How 
often  nature  tries  to  the  utmost  our  capacity  of  appreciation  and 
leaves  us  still  insatiate  !  At  such  times  it  is  almost  a  relief  to 
turn  from  the  mere  contemplation  of  beauty  to  the  study  of  its 
structure  ;  it  rests  our  overstrained  faculties. 

The  vivid  coloring  and  conspicuous  marking  of  these  flowers 
indicate  that  they  aim  to  attract  certain  members  of  the  insect 
world.  As  in  the  fireweed  the  pistil  of  the  freshly  opened  blos- 
jom  is  curved  sideways,  with  its  lobes  so  closed  and  twisted  as 
to  be  inaccessible  on  their  stigmatic  surfaces  to  the  pollen  which 
the  already  mature  stamens  are  discharging.  When  the  effete 
anthers  give  evidence  that  they  are  hors  de  combat  by  their  with- 
ered appearance,  the  style  erects  itself  and  spreads  its  stigmas. 

S.  angularis  is  a  species  which  may  be  found  in  rich  soil  in- 
land. Its  somewhat  heart-shaped,  clasping,  five-nerved  leaves 
and  angled  stem  serve  to  identify  it. 

S.  chloroides  is  a  larger  and  peculiarly  beautiful  species  which 
borders  brackish  ponds  along  the  coast.  Its  corolla  is  about  two 
inches  broad  and  eight  to  twelve-parted.  (PI.  CIX.) 

Many  of  our  readers  will  be  interested  in  the  following 
information,  copied  from  "Garden  and  Forest,"  as  to  the 
tradition  in  Plymouth  concerning  the  scientific  name  of  this 
genus : 

"  No  more  beautiful  flower  grows  in  New  England  than  the 
Sabbatia,)  and  at  Plymouth,  where  it  is  especially  profuse  and  lux- 
uriant on  the  borders  of  the  ponds  so  characteristic  of  that  part  of 
eastern  Massachusetts,  it  is  held  in  peculiar  affection  and,  one  may 
almost  say,  reverence.  It  is  locally  called  *  the  rose  of  Plymouth, ' 
and  during  its  brief  season  of  bloom  is  sold  in  quantities  in  the 
streets  of  the  town  and  used  in  the  adornment  of  houses  and 
churches.  Its  name  comes  from  that  of  an  early  botanist,  Libera- 
tus  Sabbatia ;  but  this  well-established  truth  is  totally  disregarded 
by  local  tradition.  Almost  every  one  in  Plymouth  firmly  believes 
that  the  title  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Pilgrims  of  1620  first  saw 


PINK 

,;he  flower  on  a  Sabbath  day,  and,  entranced  by  its  masses  oi 
pinkish  lilac-color,  named  it  for  the  holy  day.  Indeed,  this 
belief  is  so  deeply  ingrained  in  the  Plymouth  mind  that,  we  are 
told,  strong  objections  are  made  if  any  other  flowers  are  irrever- 
ently mingled  with  it  in  church  decoration.  Yet  the  legend  was 
invented  not  more  than  twenty-five  years  ago  by  a  man  whose 
identity  is  still  well  remembered  ;  and  thus  it  is  of  even  more  re- 
cent origin  than  the  one,  still  more  universally  credited,  which 
says  that  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed  upon  Plymouth  Rock." 


BUSH  CLOVER. 

Lcspedeza  procumbens.      Pulse  Family. 

Stems. — Slender  ;  trailing,  and  prostrate.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three 
clover-like  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous;  purplish -pink ;  veiny.  Pod. 
— Small ;  rounded ;  flat ;  one-seeded. 

The  flowers  of  this  plant  often  have  the  appearance  of  spring- 
ing directly  from  the  earth  amid  a  mass  of  clover  leaves.  They 
are  common  in  dry  soil  in  the  late  summer  and  autumn,  as  are 
the  other  members  of  the  same  genus. 

L.  reticulata  is  an  erect,  very  leafy  species  with  similar 
blossoms,  which  are  chiefly  clustered  near  the  upper  part  of  the 
stem.  The  bush  clovers  betray  at  once  their  kinship  with  the 
tick-trefoils,  but  usually  are  found  in  more  sandy,  open  places. 

L.  polystachya  has  upright  wand-like  stems  from  two  to  four 
feet  high.  Its  yellowish  flowers,  usually  with  a  pink  or  purple 
spot  on  the  standard,  grow  in  oblong  spikes  on  elongated  stalks. 
Those  of  L.  capitata  are  also  yellowish  with  a  purple  spot,  and 
are  clustered  in  globular  heads. 


PLATE   CX 


ROSE   MALLOW.— Hibiscus  Moscheutos. 
241 


FINK 


ROSE  MALLOW.    SWAMP  MALLOW. 

[PI.  CX 
Hibiscus  Moscheutos.     Mallow  Family. 

Stem. — Stout  and  tall ;  four  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — The  lower 
three-lobed  ;  the  upper  oblong,  whitish  and  downy  beneath.  Flowers. — 
Large  and  showy  ;  pink.  Calyx. — Five-cleft,  with  a  row  of  narrow  bractlets 
beneath.  Corolla. — Of  five  large  petals.  Stamens. — Many;  on  a  tube 
which  encloses  the  lower  part  of  the  style.  Pistils. — Five;  united  into  one, 
with  five  stigmas  which  are  like  pin-heads. 

When  the  beautiful  rose  mallow  slowly  unfolds  her  pink  ban- 
ner-like petals  and  admits  the  eager  bee  to  her  stores  of  golden 
pollen,  then  we  feel  that  the  summer  is  far  advanced.  As  truly 
as  the  wood  anemone  and  the  blood -root  seem  filled  with  the 
essence  of  spring  and  the  promise  of  the  opening  year,  so  does 
this  stately  flower  glow  with  the  maturity  and  fulfilment  of  late 
summer.  Here  is  none  of  the  timorousness  of  the  early  blossoms 
which  peep  shyly  out,  as  if  ready  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  should 
a  late  frost  overtake  them,  but  rather  a  calm  assurance  that  the 
time  is  n'ne,  and  that  the  salt  marshes  and  brackish  ponds  are 
only  awaiting  their  rosy  lining. 

The  marsh  mallow,  whose  roots  yield  the  mucilaginous  sub- 
stance utilized  in  the  well-known  confection,  is  Althtza  offici- 
nalis,  an  emigrant  from  Europe.  It  is  a  much  less  common 
plant  than  the  Hibiscus,  its  pale  pink  flowers  being  found  in  some 
of  the  salt  marshes  of  New  England  and  New  York. 

The  common  mallow,  Malva  rotundifolia,  which  overruns 
the  country  dooryards  and  village  waysides,  is  a  little  plant  with 
rounded,  heart-shaped  leaves  and  small  purplish  flowers.  It  is 
used  by  the  country  people  for  various  medicinal  purposes  and  is 
cultivated  and  commonly  boiled  with  meat  in  Egypt.  Job  pict- 
ures himself  as  being  despised  by  those  who  had  been  themselves 
so  destitute  as  to  "  cut  up  mallows  by  the  bushes  ...  for 
their  meat."  * 

*  Job  xxx.  4. 


242 


PLATE  CX! 


MUSK  MALLOW.— Afo/vo  moschata. 


PLATE   CXII 


MARSH   ST.  JOHN'S-WORT.-E/^M 
243 


PINK 


MUSK    MALLOW 

Malva  moschata.     Mallow  Family. 

Erect,  branching,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Stem-leaves. — Five-parted,  the 
divisions  cleft  into  linear  lobes.  Flowers. — Pink  or  white,  clustered  at  the 
summit  of  the  stem.  Calyx. — Five-cleft,  with  three  bracts  at  the  base. 
Corolla. — Of  five  obcordate  petals.  Stamens. — Numerous,  united  in  2 
column.  Pistils. — Several,  their  ovaries  united  in  a  ring. 

The  musk  mallow  is  an  attractive  foreign  adventurer  which 
has  wandered  from  the  garden  to  the  roadside.  Its  faintly  musk- 
like  odor  is  responsible  for  its  name. 


MARSH  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT. 

[PI.  CXII 

Elodes  campanulata.     St.  John's-wort  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high  ;  often  pinkish  ;  later  bright  red.  Leaves. — 
Opposite ;  set  close  to  the  stem  or  clasping  by  a  broad  base.  Flowers. — 
Pinkish  or  flesh-color ;  small  ;  closely  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the  stem 
and  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals  ;  often  pinkish.  Carol' 
/£. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Nine,  in  three  sets;  the  sets  separated  by 
orange-colored  glands.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

If  one  has  been  so  unlucky,  from  the  usual  point  of  view,  or 
so  fortunate,  looking  at  the  matter  with  the  eyes  of  the  flower- 
lover,  as  to  find  himself  in  a  rich  marsh  early  in  August,  his  eye 
is  likely  to  fall  upon  the  small,  pretty  pinkish  flowers  and  pale 
clasping  leaves  of  the  marsh  St.  John's-wort.  A  closer  inspec- 
tion will  discover  that  the  foliage  is  dotted  with  the  pellucid 
glands,  and  that  the  stamens  are  clustered  in  groups  after  the 
family  fashion.  Should  the  same  marsh  be  visited  a  few  weeks 
later,  dashes  of  vivid  color  will  guide  one  to  the  spot  where  the 
little  pink  flowers  were  found.  In  their  place  glow  the  conspic- 
uous ovaries  and  bright  leaves  which  make  the  plant  very  notice- 
able in  late  August. 

Elodes  is  a  corruption  from  a  Greek  word  which  signifies 
growing  in  marshes. 


244 


PLATE   CXIII 


Fruit. 


T|C  K-TREFOIL.— Desmodiun* 
245 


PINK 


TICK-TREFOIL. 

Desmodium  nudiflorum.     Pulse  Family. 

Scape. — About  two  feet  long.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  broad  leaf- 
lets; crowded  at  the  summit  of  the  flowerless  stems.  Flowers. — Papiliona- 
ceous ;  purplish-pink ;  small ;  growing  in  an  elongated  raceme  on  a  mostly 
leafless  scape. 

This  is  a  smaller,  less  noticeable  plant  than  D.  Canadense. 
It  flourishes  abundantly  in  dry  woods,  where  it  often  takes  pos- 
session in  late  summer  to  the  exclusion  of  nearly  all  other  flowers. 


TICK-TREFOIL. 

[PI.  CXIIl 
Desmodium  Canadense.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy  ;  three  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three 
somewhat  oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous  ;  dull  purplish-pink ; 
growing  in  densely  flowered  racemes.  Pod. — Flat ;  deeply  lobed  on  the 
lower  margin ;  from  one  to  three  inches  long ;  roughened  with  minute 
hooked  hairs  by  means  of  which  it  adheres  to  animals  and  clothing. 

Great  masses  of  color  are  made  by  these  flowers  in  the  bogs 
and  rich  woods  of  midsummer.  They  are  effective  when  seen 
in  the  distance,  but  rather  disappointing  on  closer  examination, 
and  will  hardly  bear  gathering  or  transportation.  They  are  by 
far  the  largest  and  most  showy  of  the  genus. 

The  flowers  of  D.  acuminatum  grow  in  an  elongated  raceme 
from  a  stem  about  whose  summit  the  leaves,  divided  into  very 
large  leaflets,  are  crowded  ;  otherwise  it  resembles  D.  nudiflorum. 

D.  Dillenii  grows  to  a  height  of  from  two  to  five  feet,  with 
erect  leafy  stems  and  medium-sized  flowers.  It  is  found  com- 
monly in  open  woods. 

Many  of  us  who  do  not  know  these  plants  by  name  have 
uttered  various  imprecations  against  their  roughened  pods. 
Thoreau  writes  :  "  Though  you  were  running  for  your  life,  they 
would  have  time  to  catch  and  cling  to  your  clothes.  .  .  . 
These  almost  invisible  nets,  as  it  were,  are  spread  for  us,  and 
whole  coveys  of  desmodium  and  bidens  seeds  steal  transporta- 

246 


PLATE   CXIV 


BOUNCING   BET.— Saponaria  officifialis. 
247 


PINK 

tion  out  of  us.  I  have  found  myself  often  covered,  as  it  were, 
with  an  imbricated  coat  of  the  brown  desmodium  seeds  or  a 
bristling  chevaux-de-frise  of  beggar-ticks,  and  had  to  spend  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  or  more  picking  them  off  in  some  convenient 
spot ;  and  so  they  get  just  what  they  wanted — deposited  in  an- 
other place." 


BOUNCING   BET.     SOAPWORT. 

[PI.  CXIV 

Saponaria  officinalis.     Pink  Family. 

Stem. — Rather  stout ;  swollen  at  the  joints.  Leaves. — Oval ;  opposite. 
Flowers. — Pink  or  white  ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  five  united  sepals.  Co- 
rolla.— Of  five  pinkish,  long-clawed  petals  (frequently  the  flowers  are 
double).  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

A  cheery  pretty  plant  is  this  with  large,  rose -tinged  flowers 
which  are  especially  effective  when  double. 

Bouncing  Bet  is  of  a  sociable  turn  and  is  seldom  found  far 
from  civilization,  delighting  in  the  proximity  of  farm-houses  and 
their  belongings,  in  the  shape  of  children,  chickens,  and  cattle. 
She  comes  to  us  from  England,  and  her  "feminine  comeliness 
and  bounce  "  suggest  to  Mr.  Burroughs  a  Yorkshire  housemaid. 
The  generic  name  is  from  sapo — soap — and  refers  to  the  lather 
which  the  juice  forms  with  water,  and  which  is  said  to  have  been 
used  as  a  substitute  for  soap. 


PURPLE   GERARDIA. 

Gerardia  purpurea.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  four  feet  high;  widely  branching.  Leaves.  —  Linear; 
sharply  pointed.  Flowers. — Bright  purplish-pink ;  rather  large.  Calyx. — 
Five-toothed.  Corolla. — One  inch  long;  somewhat  tubular;  swelling 
above  ;  with  five  more  or  less  unequal,  spreading  lobes ;  often  downy  and 
spotted  within.  Stamens. — Four;  in  pairs;  hairy.  Pistil. — One. 

In  late  summer  and  early  autumn  these  pretty,  noticeable 
flowers  brighten  the  low-lying  ground  along  the  coast  and  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Great  Lakes.  The  sandy  fields  of  New 

248 


PLATE    CXV 


PURPLE   GERARDIA.—  Gerardia  purj>urta, 
249 


PINK 

England  and  Long  Island  are  oftentimes  a  vivid  mass  of  color 
owing  to  their  delicate  blossoms.  The  plant  varies  somewhat 
in  the  size  of  its  flowers  and  in  the  manner  of  its  growth. 

The  little  seaside  gerardia,  G.  maritima>  is  from  four  inches  to 
a  foot  high.  Its  smaller  blossoms  are  also  found  in  salt  marshes. 

The  slender  gerardia,  G.  tenuifolia,  is  common  in  mountain- 
ous regions.  The  leaves  of  this  species  are  exceedingly  narrow. 
Like  the  false  foxglove  (PL  LXXXIII.)  and  other  members  of  this 
genus,  these  plants  are  supposed  to  be  parasitic  in  their  habits. 


SALT   MARSH   FLEABANE. 

Pluchea  camphorata.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Pale;  thickish  ;  oblong  or 
lance-shaped ;  toothed.  Flower-heads.  — Pink ;  small ;  in  flat-topped  clus- 
ters ;  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers. 

In  the  salt  marshes  where  we  find  the  starry  sea  pinks  and 
the  feathery  sea  lavender,  we  notice  a  pallid-looking  plant  whose 
pink  flower-buds  are  long  in  opening.  It  is  late  summer  or 
autumn  before  the  salt  marsh  fleabane  is  fairly  in  blossom. 
There  is  a  strong  fragrance  to  the  plant  which  hardly  suggests 
camphor,  despite  its  specific  title. 


FALSE    DRAGON-HEAD. 

Physostegia  Virginiana.     Mint  Family. 

Stems. — Square;  upright;  wand-like.  Leaves. — Opposite;  sessile;  nar- 
row; usually  toothed.  Flowers. — Showy;  rose-pink;  purple-veined;  crowd- 
ed in  terminal  leafless  spikes.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla.— One  inch 
long ;  funnel-form,  with  an  inflated  throat ;  two-lipped.  Upper  lip  erect ; 
lower  lip  small,  spreading,  three-parted,  its  middle  lobe  the  largest,  broad 
and  notched.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  two-lobed  style.  Ovary. 
— Deeply  four-lobed. 

By  the  roadside,  and  in  wet  meadows,  during  the  late  sum- 
mer or  even  early  in  the  fall,  we  find  the  pink  clusters  of  the 
false  dragon -head. 

These  blossoms  are  likely  to  arouse  the  suspicion  that  the 

250 


PLATE   CXVJ 


251 


PINK 


plant  is  related  to  the  turtle-head,  but  the  square  stem  and  four- 
lobed  ovary  soon  persuade  us  of  its  kinship  with  the  members  of 
the  Mint  Family. 

SAND   KNOTWEED. 

Polygonella  articttlata.      (Formerly  Polygonum  articulatum.}     Buckwheat 

Family. 

Erect;  branching;  four  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — Linear;  incon- 
spicuous. Flowers. — Rose-color;  nodding;  in  very  slender  racemes. 
Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One, 
with  three  styles. 

Under  date  of  September  26th,  Thoreau  writes:  ''The 
Polygonum  articulatum,  giving  a  rosy  tinge  to  Jenny's  desert,  is 
very  interesting  now,  with  its  slender  dense  racemes  of  rose- 
tinted  flowers,  apparently  without  leaves,  rising  cleanly  out  of 
the  sand.  It  looks  warm  and  brave,  a  foot  or  more  high,  and 
mingled  with  deciduous  blue  curls.  It  is  much  divided,  with 
many  spreading,  slender-racemed  branches,  with  inconspicuous 
linear  leaves,  reminding  me,  both  by  its  form  and  its  colors,  of  a 
peach-orchard  in  blossom,  especially  when  the  sunlight  falls  on 
it ;  minute  rose-tinted  flowers  that  brave  the  frosts,  and  advance 
the  summer  into  fall,  warming  with  their  color  sandy  hill-sides 
and  deserts,  like  the  glow  of  evening  reflected  on  the  sand,  ap- 
parently all  flower  and  no  leal.  Rising  apparently  with  clean 
bare  stems  from  the  sand,  it  spreads  out  into  this  graceful  head 
of  slender,  rosy  racemes,  wisp-like.  This  little  desert  of  less 
than  an  acre  blushes  with  it. 


JOE-PYE-WEED.    TRUMPET-WEED. 

[PI.  CXVI 

Eupatorium  purpureum.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Stout  and  tall ;  two  to  twelve  feet  high  ;  often  dotted.  Leaves. 
— In  whorls  of  three  to  six  ;  oblong  or  .oval ;  pointed  ;  rough  ;  veiny  ; 
toothed.  Flower-heads. — Purplish-pink ;  small ;  composed  entirely  of  tubu- 
lar blossoms,  with  long  protruding  styles ;  growing  in  large  clusters  at  or 
near  the  summit  of  the  stem. 

The  summer  is  nearly  over  when  the  tall,  conspicuous  Joe- 
Pye- weeds  begin  to  tinge  with  "crushed  raspberry"  the  low- 

252 


PINK 

ands  through  which  we  pass.  In  parts  of  the  country  it  is  near- 
iy  as  common  as  the  golden-rods  and  asters  which  appear  at 
about  the  same  season.  With  the  deep  purple  of  the  iron-weed 
it  gives  variety  to  the  intense  hues  which  herald  the  coming  of 
autumn. 

"  Joe  Pye"  is  said  to  have  been  the  name  of  an  Indian  who 
cured  typhus  fever  in  New  England  by  means  of  this  plant.  The 
tiny  trumpet-shaped  blossoms  which  make  up  the  flower-heads 
may  have  suggested  the  other  common  name. 


CLIMBING  HEMP-WEED. 

Mikania  scandens.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Twining  and  climbing;  nearly  smooth.  Leaves. — Opposite; 
somewhat  triangular-heart-shaped ;  pointed  ;  toothed  at  the  base.  Flower- 
heads. — Pink  or  whitish ;  composed  of  four  tubular  flowers  ;  clustered ; 
resembling  boneset. 

In  late  summer  one  often  finds  the  thickets  which  line  the 
slow  streams  nearly  covered  with  the  flowers  of  the  climbing 
hemp-weed.  At  first  sight  the  likeness  to  the  boneset  is  so 
marked  that  the  two  plants  are  often  confused,  but  a  second 
glance  discovers  the  climbing  stems  and  triangular  leaves  which 
clearly  distinguish  this  genus. 


V 

RED 

[Red  or  occasionally  Red  Flowers  not  found  in  Red  Section.J 

Wood  Betony.     Pedicularts  Canadensis.     April  or  May. 

(Yellow  Section,  p.  128.) 

Huckleberries,  etc. .     May  and  June.     (White  Section,  pp.  51-54.) 

Herb  Robert.   Geranium  Robertianum.     Summer.   (Pink  Section,  p.  226.) 


WILD  COLUMBINE. 

Aquilegia  Canadensis.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high.     Stems. — Branching.     Leaves. — Much- 
divided  ;   the  leaflets  lobed.     Flowers, — Large;  bright  red  ;   yellow  within  ; 
nodding.      Calyx, — Of  five  red  petal-like  sepals.      Corolla. — Of  five  petal; 
in  the  form  of  large  hollow  spurs,  which  are  red  without  and  yellow  within 
Stamens. — Numerous.     Pistils. — Five,  with  slender  styles. 

41 A  woodland  walk, 

A  quest  of  river-grapes,  a  mocking  thrush, 
A  wild-rose  or  rock-loving  columbine, 
Salve  my  worst  wounds," 

declares  Emerson  ;  and  while  perhaps  few  among  us  are  able  to 
make  so  light-hearted  and  sweeping  a  claim  for  ourselves,  yet 
many  will  admit  the  soothing  power  of  which  the  woods  and 
fields  know  the  secret,  and  will  own  that  the  ordinary  annoy- 
ances of  life  may  be  held  more  or  less  in  abeyance  by  one  who 
lives  in  close  sympathy  with  nature. 

About  the  columbine  there  is  a  daring  loveliness  which  stamps 


PLATE  CXVII 


WILD  COLUMBINE.— A quuegia  Canadensis.. 


R£D 

it  on  the  memories  of  even  those  who  are  not  ordinarily  minute 
observers.  It  contrives  to  secure  a  foothold  in  the  most  precipi- 
tous and  uncertain  of  nooks,  its  jewel-like  flowers  gleaming  from 
their  lofty  perches  with  a  graceful  insouciance  which  awakens  our 
sportsmanlike  instincts  and  fires  us  with  the  ambition  to  equal  it 
in  daring  and  make  its  loveliness  our  own.  Perhaps  it  is  as  well 
if  our  greediness  be  foiled  and  we  get  a  tumble  for  our  pains,  for 
no  flower  loses  more  with  its  surroundings  than  the  columbine. 
Indeed,  these  destructive  tendencies,  which  are  strong  within 
most  of  us,  generally  defeat  themselves  by  decreasing  our  pleas- 
ure in  a  blossom  the  moment  we  have  ruthlessly  and  without 
purpose  snatched  it  from  its  environment.  If  we  honestly  wish 
to  study  its  structure,  or  to  bring  into  our  homes  for  preserva- 
tion a  bit  of  the  woods'  loveliness,  its  interest  and  beauty  are 
sure  to  repay  us.  But  how  many  pluck  every  striking  flower 
they  see  only  to  toss  it  carelessly  aside  when  they  reach  their 
destination,  if  they  have  not  already  dropped  it  by  the  way. 
Surely  if  in  such  small  matters  sense  and  self-control  were  incul- 
cated in  children,  more  would  grow  up  to  the  poet's  standard  of 
worthiness  : 

'*  Hast  thou  named  all  the  birds  without  a  gun  ? 
Loved  the  wood-rose  and  left  it  on  its  stalk  ? 
At  rich  men's  tables  eaten  bread  and  pulse  ? 
Unarmed,  faced  danger  with  a  heart  of  trust  ? 
And  loved  so  well  a  high  behavior, 
In  man  or«naid,  that  thou  from  speech  refrained, 
Nobility  more  nobly  to  repay  ? 
O,  be  my  friend,  and  teach  me  to  be  thine  !  "  * 

The  name  of  columbine  is  derived  from  colomba — a  dove, 
but  its  significance  is  disputed.  Some  believe  that  it  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  bird-like  claws  of  the  blossom  ;  while  Dr.  Prior 
maintains  that  it  refers  to  the  "  resemblance  of  its  nectaries  to 
the  heads  of  pigeons  in  a  ring  around  a  dish,  a  favorite  device 
of  ancient  artists. ' ' 

*  Emerson. 
255 


RED' 

The  meaning  of  the  generic  title  is  also  doubtful.  Gray  de- 
rives it  from  aquilegus — water-drawing,  but  gives  no  further  ex- 
planation, while  other  writers  claim  that  it  is  from  aquila,  an 
eagle,  seeing  a  likeness  to  the  talons  of  an  eagle  in  the  curved 
nectaries. 

WAKE  ROBIN.     BIRTHROOT. 

Trillium  erectum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Stout;  from  a  tuber-like  rootstock.  Leaves. — Broadly  ovate; 
three  in  a  whorl  a  short  distance  below  the  flower.  Flower. — Single  ;  termi- 
nal ;  usually  purplish  red,  occasionally  whitish,  pinkish,  or  greenish  ;  on  an 
erect  or  somewhat  inclined  flower-stalk.  Calyx. — Of  three  green  spreading 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  large  lance-shaped  petals.  Stamens. — Six. 
Pistil. — One,  with  three  large  spreading  stigmas.  Fruit. — A  large,  ovate, 
six-angled  reddish  berry. 

This  wake  robin  is  one  of  the  few  self-assertive  flowers  of  the 
early  year.  Its  contemporaries  act  as  if  somewhat  uncertain  as 
to  whether  the  spring  had  really  come  to  stay,  but  no  such  lack 
of  confidence  possesses  our  brilliant  young  friend,  who  almost 
flaunts  her  lurid  petals  in  our  faces,  as  if  to  force  upon  us  the 
welcome  news  that  the  time  of  birds  and  flowers  is  at  hand. 
Pretty  and  suggestive  as  is  the  common  name,  it  is  hardly  appro- 
priate, as  the  robins  have  been  on  the  alert  for  many  days  before 
our  flower  unfurls  its  crimson  signal.  Its  odor  is  most  un- 
pleasant. Its  reddish  fruit  i  is  noticeable  in  the  woods  of  late 
summer. 

The  sessile  trillium,  T.  sessile,  has  no  separate  flower-stalk, 
its  red  or  greenish  blossom  being  set  close  to  the  stem  leaves.  Its, 
petals  are  narrower,  and  its  leaves  are  often  blotched  or  spotted. 
Its  berry  is  glcfbular,  six-angled,  and  red  or  purplish. 

The  wake  robins  are  native  to  North  America,  only  one 
species  being  found  just  beyond  the  boundaries  in  the  Russian 
territory. 


856 


PLATE  CXVIK 


Fruit. 


WAKE  ROBIN.— Trillium  erectttm. 
257 


RED 


PAINTED   CUP. 

Castilleia  coccinea.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy;  six  inches  to  a  foot  high.  Root-leaves. — Clustered;  ob 
long.  Stem-leaves. — Incised;  those  among  the  flowers  three  to  five-cleft, 
bright  scarlet  toward  the  summit ;  showy.  Flowers. — Pale  yellow  ;  spiked. 
Calyx. — Tubular;  flattened.  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  its  upper  lip  long  and 
narrow;  its  lower  short  and  three-lobed.  Stamens. — Four;  unequal. 
'Pistil.— One. 

" Scarlet  tufts 

Are  glowing  in  the  green  like  flakes  of  fire ; 
The  wanderers  of  the  prairie  know  them  well, 
And  call  that  brilliant  flower  the  painted  cup."* 

But  we  need  not  go  to  the  prairie  in  order  to  see  this  plant, 
for  it  is  equally  abundant  in  certain  low  sandy  New  England 
meadows  as  well  as  in  the  near  vicinity  of  New  York  City.  Un 
der  date  of  June  3d,  Thoreau  graphically  describes  its  appearance 
near  Concord,  Mass.  :  "The  painted  cup  is  in  its  prime.  It 
reddens  the  meadow,  painted-cup  meadow.  It  is  a  splendid 
show  of  brilliant  scarlet,  the  color  of  the  cardinal  flower,  and 
surpassing  it  in  mass  and  profusion.  .  .  .  I  do  not  like  the 
name.  It  does  not  remind  me  of  a  cup,  rather  of  a  flame  when 
it  first  appears.  It  might  be  called  flame-flower,  or  scarlet  tip. 
Here  is  a  large  meadow  full  of  it,  and  yet  very  few  in  the  town 
have  ever  seen  it.  It  is  startling  to  see  a  leaf  thus  brilliantly 
painted,  as  if  its  tip  were  dipped  into  some  scarlet  tincture,  sur- 
passing most  flowers  in  intensity  of  color. ' ' 


PITCHER  PLANT.     SIDE-SADDLE    FLOWER.     HUNTS- 
MAN'S CUP. 

Sarracenia  purpurea.     Pitcher  Plant  Family. 

Scape. — Naked;  one- flowered  ;  about  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Pitcher- 
shaped;  broadly  winged  ;  hooded.  Flower.  —  Red,  pink,  or  greenish  ;  large; 
nodding.  Calyx. — Of  five  colored  sepals,  with  three  bractlets  at  the  base. 
Corolla. — Of  five  fiddle-shaped  petals  which  are  arched  over  the  greenish- 
yellow  style.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  short  style 
which  expands  at  the  summit  into  a  petal-like  umbrella-shaped  body,  with 
five  small  hooked  stigmas. 

*  Bryant. 

258 


PLATE  CXIX 


PAINTED  CUP.— Castilleia  coccinca. 


RED 

The  first  finding  of  even  the  leaves  of  the  pitcher  plant  is 
not  to  be  forgotten.  For  the  leaves  not  only  attract  attention 
by  their  occasional  rich  markings,  and  by  their  odd  pitcher-like 
shape,  but  they  arouse  curiosity  by  the  trap  which  they  set  for 
unwary  insects.  They  are  partly  lined  with  a  sugary  exudation, 
below  which,  for  a  space,  they  are  highly  polished,  while  still  lower 
grow  stiff,  down-pointing  bristles.  Insects  attracted  by  the  sweet 
secretion  soon  find  themselves  prisoners,  as  they  can  seldom  fight 
their  way  upward  through  the  opposing  bristles,  or  escape  by  a 
flight  so  perpendicular  as  would  be  necessary  from  the  form  of  the 
cavity.  It  is  rarely  that  one  finds  a  plant  whose  leaves  are  not 
partially  filled  with  water  and  drowned  insects,  and  these  latter 
are  believed  to  contribute  to  its  nourishment.  In  an  entry  in 
his  journal  one  September,  Thoreau  writes  of  a  certain  swamp  : 

"  Though  the  moss  is  comparatively  dry,  I  cannot  walk  with- 
out upsetting  the  numerous  pitchers,  which  are  now  full  of  water, 
and  so  wetting  my  feet ;  "  and  continues  :  "I  once  accidentally 
sat  down  on  such  a  bed  of  pitcher  plants,  and  found  an  uncom- 
monly wet  seat  where  I  expected  a  dry  one.  These  leaves  are 
of  various  colors,  from  plain  green  to  a  rich  striped  yellow  or 
deep  red.  Old  Josselyn  called  this  •  hollow-leaved  lavender.' 
I  think  we  have  no  other  plant  so  singular  and  remarkable." 
And  November  i5th  he  finds  "  the  water  frozen  solid  in  the 
leaves  of  the  pitcher  plant. ' '  But  singular  and  interesting  though 
these  leaves  are,  the^greatest  charm  of  the  plant,  it  seems  to  me, 
lies  in  its  beautiful  and  unusual  flower.  This  flower  we  find,  if 
we  have  the  luck,  during  the  early  part  of  June.  Although  I  be- 
lieve its  most  frequent  color  is  red  (Thoreau  likens  it  to  "a  great 
dull  red  rose,"  but  Gray  accuses  it  of  being  "  deep  purple"), 
I  have  usually  found  it  either  pink  or  green  —  fresh  delicate 
shades  of  both  colors — and  with  a  fragrance  suggesting  sandal- 
wood. 

And  though  (unlike  some  fortunate  friends)  I  have  never  found 
these  blossoms  rearing  themselves  by  the  hundred  in  an  open 
swamp,  baring  their  beauty  to  the  sunlight,  it  will  be  long  before 
I  forget  the  throb  of  delight  which  followed  my  first  sight  of  the 

»59 


RED 

plant  in  a  shaded  bog,  where  its  delicately  tinted  flowers  nodded 
almost  undetected  under  bending  ferns  and  masses  of  false  helle- 
bore. 

WOOD   LILY.    WILD   RED   LILY. 

Lilium  Philadelphicum.      Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled  or  scattered  ;  nar- 
rowly lance-shaped.  Flower.  — Erect ;  orange-red  or  scarlet,  spotted  with 
purple.  Perianth. — Of  six  erect  narrowly  clawed  sepals,  with  nectar-bearing 
furrows  at  their  base.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One,  with  three-lobed 
stigma. 

Here  and  there  in  the  shadowy  woods  is  a  vivid  dash  of  color 
made  by  some  wild  red  lily  which  has  caught  a  stray  sunbeam  in 
its  glowing  cup.  The  purple  spots  on  its  sepals  guide  the  greedy 
bee  to  the  nectar  at  their  base ;  we  too  can  take  the  hint  and 
reap  a  sweet  reward  if  we  will,  after  which  we  are  more  in  sym- 
pathy with  those  eager,  humming  bees. 

This  erect,  deep-hued  flower  is  so  different  from  its  nodding 
sister  of  the  meadows,  that  we  wonder  that  the  two  should  be  so 
often  confused.  When  seen  away  from  its  surroundings  it  has 
less  charms  perhaps  than  either  the  yellow  or  the  Turk's-cap  lily  ; 
but  when  it  rears  itself  in  the  cool  depths  of  its  woodland  home 
we  feel  the  uniqueness  of  its  beauty. 


TURK'S  CAP  LILY. 

[PI.  CXXIl 

Lilium  sriperbum.      Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  seven  feet  high.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped  ;  the  lower 
whorled.  Flowers. — Orange  or  scarlet,  with  purple  spots  within;  three 
inches  long  ;  from  three  to  forty  growing  in  pyramidal  clusters.  Perianth. 
— Of  six  strongly  recurved  sepals.  Stamens. — Six,  with  long  anthers. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

"  Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow ; 
They  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin ; 

And  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory 
Was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these." 

How  they  come  back  to  us,  the  beautiful  hackneyed  lines, 
and  flash  into  our  memories  with  new  significance  of  meaning 

260 


PITCHER  PLANT.— Sarracenia  purpurea. 


PLATE    CXXI 


WOOD   LILY.— Liliutn  PhilaJelpkkutn* 
26l 


RED 

when  we  chance  suddenly  upon  a  meadow  bordered  with  these 
the  most  gorgeous  of  our  wild  flowers. 

We  might  doubt  whether  our  native  lilies  at  all  resembled 
those  alluded  to  in  the  scriptural  passage,  if  we  did  not  know 
that  a  nearly  allied  species  grew  abundantly  in  Palestine  ;  for  we 
have  reason  to  believe  that  lily  was  a  title  freely  applied  by  many 
Oriental  poets  to  any  beautiful  flower. 

Perhaps  this  plant  never  attains  far  inland  the  same  luxuri- 
ance of  growth  which  is  common  to  it  in  some  of  the  New  Eng- 
land lowlands  near  the  coast.  Its  radiant,  nodding  blossoms 
are  seen  in  great  profusion  as  we  travel  by  rail  from  New  York 
to  Boston. 

BUTTERFLY-WEED.     PLEURISY-ROOT. 

[PI.  CXXIII 

Asclepias  tuberosa.     Milkweed  Family. 

• 

Stem. — Rough  and  hairy;  one  to  two  feet  high;  erect;  very  leafy, 
branching  at  the  summit ;  without  milky  juice.  Leaves. — Linear  to  narrow- 
ly lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Bright  orange-red;  in  flat-topped,  terminal 
clusters,  otherwise  closely  resembling  those  of  the  common  milkweed.  Fruit. 
— Two  hoary  erect  pods,  one  of  them  often  stulfted. 

Few  if  any  of  our  native  plants  add  more  to  the  beauty  of  the 
midsummer  landscape  than  the  milkweeds,  and  of  this  family  no 
member  is  more  satisfying  to  the  color-craving  eye  than  the 
gorgeous  butterfly-weed,  whose  vivid  flower  clusters  flame  from 
the  dry  sandy  meadows  with  such  luxuriance  of  growth  as  to 
seem  almost  tropical.  Even  in  the  tropics  one  hardly  sees  any- 
thing more  brilliant  than  the  great  masses  of  color  made  by 
these  flowers  along  some  of  our  New  England  railways  in  July, 
while  farther  south  they  are  said  to  grow  even  more  profuse- 
ly. Its  gay  coloring  has  given  the  plant  its  name  of  butterfly- 
weed,*  while  that  of  pleurisy-root  arose  from  the  belief  that 
the  thick,  deep  root  was  a  remedy  for  pleurisy.  The  Indians 
used  it  as  food  and  prepared  a  crude  sugar  from  the  flowers ;  the 
young  seed-pods  they  boiled  and  ate  with  buffalo-meat.  The 

*  It  is  believed  by  some  that  the  name  springs  from  ths  fact  that  butterflies 
visit  the  plant 

262 


fURK'S  CAP  ULY.—Li&txt  superbum. 
263 


RED 

plant  is  worthy  of  cultivation  and  is  easily  transplanted,  as  the 
fleshy  roots  when  broken  in  pieces  form  new  plants.  Oddly 
enough,  at  the  Centennial  Exhibition  much  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  "bed  of  these  beautiful  plants  which  were  brought 
from  Holland.  Truly,  flowers,  like  prophets,  are  not  without 
honor  save  in  their  own  country. 

OSWEGO  TEA.     BEE  BALM. 

Monarda  didyma.      Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Square  ;  erect ;  about  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  ovate, 
pointed;  aromatic;  those  near  the  flowers  tinged  with  red.  Flowers.-— 
Bright  red;  clustered  in  a  close  round  head.  Calyx. — Reddish;  five- 
toothed.  Corolla. — Elongated;  tubular;  two-lipped.  Stamens. — Two; 
elongated;  protruding.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style ;  protruding. 

We  have  so  few  red  flowers  that  when  one  flashes  suddenly 
upon  us  it  gives  us  a  pleasant  thrill  of  wonder  and  surprise. 
The  red  flowers  know  so  well  how  to  enhance  their  beauty  by 
seeking  an  appropriate  setting.  They  select  the  rich  green  back- 
grounds only  found  in  moist,  shady  places,  and  are  peculiarly 
charming  when  associated  with  a  lonely  marsh  or  a  mountain- 
brook.  The  bee  balm  especially  haunts  these  cool  nooks,  and 
its  rounded  flower-clusters  touch  with  warmth  the  shadows  of 
the  damp  woods  of  midsummer.  The  Indians  named  the  flower 
O-gee-chee — flaming  flower,  and  are  said  to  have  made  a  tea- 
like  decoction  from  the  blossoms. 


HOUND'S  TONGUE. 

Cyntgtossum  officinale.     Borage  Family. 

Stem. — Clothed  with  soft  hairs.  Leaves. — Alternate;  hairy;  the  upper 
ones  lance-shaped  ;  clasping  somewhat  by  a  rounded  or  heart-shaped  base. 
Flowers. — Purplish-red ;  growing  in  a  curved  raceme-like  cluster  which 
straightens  as  the  blossoms  expand.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — 
Funnel-form;  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A 
large  nutlet  roughened  with  barbed  or  hooked  prickles. 

This  coarse  plant,  whose  disagreeable  odor  strongly  suggests 
mice,    is  not  only  a   troublesome  weed   in    pasture-land  but  a 

264 


PLATE    CXXIII 


REG 


special  annoyance  to  wool-growers,  as  its  prickly  fruit  adheres 
with  pertinacity  to  the  fleece  of  sheep.  Its  common  name  is  a 
translation  of  its  generic  title  and  refers  to  the  shape  and  texture 
of  the  leaves.  The  dull  red  flowers  appear  in  summer. 


PIMPERNEL.     POOR-MAN'S-WEATHER-GLASS. 

Anagallis  arvensis.     Primrose  Family. 

Stems. — Low;  spreading.  Leaves. — Opposite;  ovate;  set  close  to  the 
stem;  usually  with  dark  spots.  Flowers. — Bright  red,  occasionally  blue  or 
white;  growing  singly  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-parted. 
Corolla. — Five-parted;  wheel-shaped.  Stamens. — Five,  with  bearded  fila- 
ments. Pistil. — One. 

This  flower  is  found  in  clefts  of  rocks  or  in  sandy  fields,  and 
is  noted  for  its  sensitiveness  to  the  weather.  It  folds  its  petals  at 
the  approach  of  rain  and  fails  to  open  at  all  on  a  wet  or  cloudy 
day.  Even  in  fine  weather  it  closes  in  the  early  afternoon  and 
"  sleeps"  till  the  next  morning.  Its  ripened  seeds  are  of  value 
as  food  for  many  song-birds.  It  was  thought  at  one  time  to  be 
serviceable  in  liver  complaints,  which  reputed  virtue  may  have 
given  rise  to  the  old  couplet : 

"  No  ear  hath  heard,  no  tongue  can  tell 
The  virtues  of  the  pimpernell." 


EUROPEAN   HAWKWEED.     DEVIL'S   PAINTBRUSH. 

Hieracium  aurantiacum.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy;  erect.  Leaves. — Hairy;  oblong;  close  to  the  ground 
Flower-heads. — Orange-red ;  composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped  flowers, 
clustered. 

In  parts  of  New  York  and  of  New  England  the  midsummer 
meadows  are  ablaze  with  the  brilliant  orange-red  flowers  of  this 
striking  European  weed.  It  is  among  the  most  recent  emigrants 
to  this  country  and  bids  fair  to  become  an  annoyance  to  the 
farmer,  hence  its  not  altogether  inappropriate  title  of  devil's 
paintbrush.  In  England  it  was  called  "  Grimm  the  Collier," 

266 


PLATE   CXXIV 


Fruit. 

TRUMPET   HONEYSUCKLE.—  Lonicera  sempervtrens. 

2<X7 


RED 

on  account  of  its  black  hairs  and  after  a  comedy  of  the  same  title 
which  was  popular  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Both 
its  common  and  generic  names  refer  to  an  ancient  superstition 
to  the  effect  that  birds  of  prey  used  the  juices  of  this  genus  to 
strengthen  their  eyesight. 

CARDINAL-FLOWER. 

Lobelia  cardinalis.     Lobelia  Family. 

Stem. — From  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate;  narrowly  ob- 
long ;  slightly  toothed.  Flowers. — Bright  red ;  growing  in  a  raceme. 
Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Somewhat  two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  of  two 
rather  erect  lobes,  the  lower  spreading  and  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Five, 
united  into  a  tube.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  fringed  stigma. 

We  have  no  flower  which  can  vie  with  this  in  vivid  coloring. 
In  late  summer  its  brilliant  red  gleams  from  the  marshes  or  is  re- 
flected from  the  shadowy  water's  edge  with  unequalled  intensity — 

"  As  if  some  wounded  eagle's  breast 

Slow  throbbing  o'er  the  plain, 
Had  left  its  airy  path  impressed 
In  drops  of  scarlet  rain."  * 

The  early  French  Canadians  were  so  struck  with  its  beauty  that 
they  sent  the  plant  to  France  as  a  specimen  of  what  the  wilds  of 
the  New  World  could  yield.  Perhaps  at  that  time  it  received 
its  English  name  which  likens  it  to  the  gorgeously  attired  dig- 
nitaries of  the  Roman  Church. 


TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE. 

[PI.  CXXIV 

Lonicera  sempervirens.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  twining  snrub.  Leaves. — Entire;  opposite;  oblong;  the  upper  pairs 
united  around  the  stem.  Flowers. — Deep  red  without,  yellowish  within; 
in  close  clusters  from  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves.  Calyx. — With  very 
short  teeth.  Corolla. — Trumpet- shaped  ;  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five. 
Pistil — One.  Fruit. — A  red  or  orange  berry. 

Many  of  us  are  so  familiar  with  these  flowers  in  our  gardens 
that  we  have,  perhaps,  considered  them   ' '  escapes ' '   when  we 

*  Holmes. 
268 


PLATE  CXXV 


CARDINAL  FLOWER.—  Lobelia  Cardinalis. 


RED 

found  them  brightening  the  pasture  thicket  where  really  they  are 
most  at  home,  appearing  at  any  time  from  May  till  October. 

The  fragrant  woodbine,  L.  grata,  is  also  frequently  culti- 
vated. Its  natural  home  is  the  rocky  woodlands,  where  its 
sweet-scented  whitish  or  yellowish  flowers  appear  in  May.  Its 
stamens  and  style  protrude  conspicuously  beyond  the  corolla- 
tube,  which  is  an  inch  in  length. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

[Blue  or  Purple  or  occasionally  Blue  or  Purple  flowers  not  found 
in  Blue  and  Purple  Section.] 

Wood  Anemone.     Anemone  nemorosa.     April  and  May. 

(White  Section,  p.  4.) 
Rue  Anemone.     Anemonella  thalictroides.     April  and  May. 

(White  Section,  p.  6.) 

Fringed  Polygala.     Polygala  paucifolia.     May.      (Pink  Section,  p.  210.) 
Showy  Orchis.     Orchis  spectabilis.     May.     (Pink  Section,  p.  200.) 

.      Calopogon  pulchellus.     June  and  July.      (Pink  Section,  p.  218.) 

Adder's  Mouth.     Pogonia  ophioglossoides.     June  and  July. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  216.) 

Daisy  Fleabane.     Erigeron  annuus.     Summer.     (White  Section,  p.  60.) 
Purple-flowering  Raspberry.     Rubus  odoratus.     Early  summer. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  222.) 
Purple  Milkweed.     Asclepias  pw-purascens .     Early  summer. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  229.) 
Purple  Loosestrife.     Lythrum  Salicaria.     Late  summer. 

(Pink  Section,  p.  234.) 
Thorn-apple.     Datura  Tatula.     Late  summer.     (White  Section,  p.  98.) 


LIVERWORT.     LIVER-LEAF. 

Hepatica  triloba.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Scape. — Fuzzy;  one-flowered.  Leaves. — Rounded;  three-lobed;  from 
the  root.  Flowers. — Blue,  white,  or  pinkish.  Calyx. — Of  six  to  twelve 
petal-like  sepals  ;  easily  taken  for  a  corolla,  because  directly  underneath  are 
three  little  leaves  which  resemble  a  calyx.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — 
Usually  numerous.  Pistils.—  Several. 

' '  The  liver-leaf  puts  forth  her  sister  blooms 
Of  faintest  blue " 

soon  after  the  late  snows  have  melted.     Indeed  these  fragile- 
looking,  enamel-like  flowers  are   sometimes  found  actually  be 


PLATE   CXXVI 


LIVERWORT.— Hepatica  triloba. 


271 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 

neath  the  snow,  and  form  one  of  the  many  instances  which  we 
encounter  among  flowers,  as  among  their  human  contemporaries, 
where  the  frail  and  delicate-looking  withstand  storm  and  stress 
far  better  than  their  more  robust-appearing  brethren.  We  wel- 
come these  tiny  newcomers  with  especial  joy,  not  alone  for  their 
delicate  beauty,  but  because  they  are  usually  the  first  of  all  the 
flowers  upon  the  scene  of  action,  if  we  rule  out  the  never-tardy 
skunk-cabbage.  The  rusty  leaves  of  last  summer  are  obliged  to 
suffice  for  the  plant's  foliage  until  some  little  time  after  the  blos- 
soms have  appeared,  when  the  young  fresh  leaves  begin  to  uncurl 
themselves.  Someone  has  suggested  that  the  fuzzy  little  buds 
look  as  though  they  were  still  wearing  their  furs  as  a  protection 
against  the  wintry  weather  which  so  often  stretches  late  into  our 
spring.  The  flowers  vary  in  color  from  a  lovely  blue  to  pink  or 
white.  They  are  found  chiefly  in  the  woods,  but  occasionally 
on  the  sunny  hill-sides  as  well. 

The  generic  name,  Hepatica,  is  from  the  Greek  for  liver,  and 
was  probably  given  to  the  plant  on  account  of  the  shape  of  its 
leaf.  Dr.  Prior  says  that  "  in  consequence  of  this  fancied  like- 
ness it  was  used  as  a  remedy  for  liver-complaints,  the  common 
people  having  long  labored  under  the  belief  that  Nature  indicated 
in  some  such  fashion  the  uses  to  which  her  creations  might  be 
applied. " 

COMMON   BLUE   VIOLET. 

Viola  palmata  ;  var.  cucullata.     Violet  Family. 

Scape, — Slender;  one-flowered.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped,  all  from  the 
root.  Flowers. — Varying  from  a  pale  blue  to  deep  purple,  borne  singly  on 
a  scape.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals  extended  into  ears  at  the  base.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  somewhat  unequal  petals,  the  lower  one  spurred  at  the  base.  Sta- 
mens.— Short  and  broad,  somewhat  united  around  the  pistil.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  club-shaped  style  and  bent  stigma. 

Perhaps  this  is  the  best-beloved  as  well  as  the  best-known  of 
the  early  wild  flowers.  Whose  heart  has  not  been  gladdened  at 
one  time  or  another  by  a  glimpse  of  some  fresh  green  nook  in 

early  May  where 

'* purple  violets  lurk, 

With  all  the  lovely  children  of  the  shade  ?  " 

273 


PLATE  CXXVII 


BIRD-FOOT  VIOLET.—  Viola  pedata. 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

It  seems  as  if  no  other  flower  were  so  suggestive  of  the  dawning 
year,  so  associated  with  the  days  when  life  was  full  of  promise. 
Although  I  believe  that  more  than  a  hundred  species  of  violets 
have  been  recorded,  only  about  thirty  are  found  in  our  country ; 
of  these  perhaps  twenty  are  native  to  the  Northeastern  States. 
Unfortunately  we  have  no  strongly  sweet-scented  species,  none 

" sweeter  than  the  lids  of  Juno's  eyes 

Or  Cytherea's  breath, —  " 

as  Shakespeare  found  the  English  blossom.  Prophets  and  war- 
riors as  well  as  poets  have  favored  the  violet ;  Mahomet  preferred 
it  to  all  other  flowers,  and  it  was  chosen  by  the  Bonapartes  as 
their  emblem. 

Perhaps  its  frequent  mention  by  ancient  writers  is  explained 
by  the  discovery  that  the  name  was  once  applied  somewhat  indis- 
criminately to  sweet-scented  blossoms. 

The  bird-foot  violet,  V.pedata  (Plate  CXXVII),  unlike  other 
members  of  the  family,  has  leaves  which  are  divided  into  linear 
lobes.  Its  flower  is  peculiarly  lovely,  being  large  and  velvety. 
The  variety,  V.  bicolor,  is  especially  striking  and  pansy-like,  its 
two  upper  petals  being  of  a  deeper  hue  than  the  others.  It  is 
found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Washington  in  abundance,  and 
on  the  shaly  soil  of  New  Jersey. 

An  interesting  feature  of  many  of  these  plants  is  their  cleis- 
togamous  flowers.  These  are  small  and  inconspicuous  blossoms, 
which  never  open  (thus  guarding  their  pollen  against  all  depreda- 
tions), but  which  are  self-fertilized,  ripening  their  seeds  in  the 
dark.  They  are  usually  found  near  or  beneath  the  ground,  and 
are  often  taken  for  immature  buds. 

DOG  VIOLET. 

Viola  canina  ;  var.  Muhlenbergii.     Violet  Family. 

Three  to  eight  inches  high.  Stems. — Leafy.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped; 
wavy-toothed.  Flowers. — Pale  violet. 

This  is  the  commonest  blue  species  of  the  leafy-stemmed  vio- 
lets. It  is  found  in  wet,  shady  places  from  May  till  July. 

273 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 


BLUETS.    QUAKER   LADIES. 

Hoiistonia  carulea.     Madder  Family. 

Stem. — Erect ;  three  to  five  inches  high.  Leaves. — Very  small ;  oppo 
site.  Flowers. — Small ;  delicate  blue,  lilac,  or  nearly  white,  with  a  yellow- 
ish eye.  Calyx. — Four-lobed.  Corolla. — Salver-shaped  ;  four-lobed  ;  co^ 
rolla-tube  long  and  slender.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  two 
stigmas. 

No  one  who  has  been  in  New  England  during  the  month 
of  May  can  forget  the  loveliness  of  the  bluets.  The  road- 
sides, meadows,  and  even  the  lawns  are  thickly  carpeted  with 
the  dainty  enamel-like  blossoms,  which  are  always  pretty,  but 
which  seems  to  flourish  with  especial  vigor  and  in  great  profusion 
in  this  lovely  region.  Less  plentiful,  perhaps,  but  still  common 
is  the  little  plant  in  grassy  places  far  south  and  west,  blossoming 
in  early  spring. 

The  flowers  are  among  those  which  botanists  term  "dimor- 
phous. ' '  This  word  signifies  occurring  in  two  forms,  and  refers 
to  the  stamens  and  pistils,  which  vary  in  size,  some  flowers  hav- 
ing a  tall  pistil  and  short  stamens,  others  tall  stamens  and  a  short 
pistil.  Darwin  has  proved,  not  only  that  one  of  these  flowers 
can  seldom  fully  fertilize  itself,  but  that  usually  the  blossoms 
with  tall  pistils  must  be  fertilized  with  pollen  from  the  tall  sta- 
mens, and  that  the  short  pistils  are  only  acted  upon  by  the  short 
stamens.  With  a  good  magnifier  and  a  needle  these  two  forms 
can  easily  be  studied.  This  is  one  of  the  many  interesting  safe- 
guards against  close  fertilization. 


GILL-OVER-THE-GROUND.    GROUND  IVY. 

Nepeta  Glechoma.     Mint  Family. 

Stems. — Creeping  and  trailing.  Leaves. — Small  and  kidney- shaped. 
Flowers. — Bluish-purple  ;  loosely  clustered  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. 
— Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  erect  and  two-cleft, 
the  lower  spreading  and  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  two- 
lobed  at  the  apex. 

As  the  pleasant  aroma  of  its  leaves  suggests,  this  little  plant 
is  closely  allied  to  the  catnip.     Its  common  title  of  Gill-over-the- 

274 


PLATE  CXXVIII 


DOG  VIOLET.— Viola  canina ;  var.  Muhlenbergii. 


PLATE   CXXIX 


BLUETS.— Houstonia  cceruita. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

ground  appeals  to  one  who  is  sufficiently  without  interest  in 
pasture-land  (for  it  is  obnoxious  to  cattle)  to  appreciate  the 
pleasant  fashion  in  which  this  little  immigrant  from  Europe  has 
made  itself  at  home  here,  brightening  the  earth  with  such  a  gen- 
erous profusion  of  blossoms  every  May.  But  it  is  somewhat  of  a 
disappointment  to  learn  that  this  name  is  derived  from  the  French 
guttler,  and  refers  to  its  former  use  in  the  fermentation  of  beer. 
Oddly  enough  the  name  of  alehoof,  which  the  plant  has  borne  in 
England  and  which  naturally  has  been  supposed  to  refer  to  this 
same  custom,  is  said  by  a  competent  authority  (Professor  Earle, 
of  Oxford)  to  have  no  connection  with  it,  but  to  signify  another 
sortofhofe,  hofe  being  the  early  English  name  for  the  violet, 
which  resembles  these  flowers  in  color. 

The  plant  was  highly  prized  formerly  as  a  domestic  medicine. 
Gerarde  claims  that  "  boiled  in  mutton-broth  it  helpeth  weake 
and  akeing  backs." 

LARKSPUR. 

Delphinium.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Six  inches  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  or  cut.  Flowers. — Blue 
or  purplish  ;  growing  in  terminal  racemes.  Calyx. — Of  five  irregular  petal- 
like  sepals  ;  the  upper  one  prolonged  into  a  spur.  Corolla. — Of  four  irregu- 
lar petals ;  the  upper  pair  continued  backward  in  long  spurs  which  are  en- 
closed in  the  spur  of  the  calyx,  the  lower  pair  with  short  claws.  Stamens. 
— Indefinite  in  number.  Pistils. — One  to  five,  forming  pods  in  fruit. 

In  April  and  May  the  bright  blue  clusters  of  the  dwarf  lark- 
spur, D.  tricorne,  are  noticeable  in  parts  of  the  country.  Un- 
fortunately they  are  not  found  east  of  Western  Pennsylvania. 

The  tall,  wand-like  purplish  racemes  of  the  tall  larkspur,  D. 
cxaltatum,  are  found  in  July  in  the  rich  soil  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  much  farther  south  and  west  as  well. 


BOBIN'S  PLANTAIN.    BLUE  SPRING-DAISY. 

Erigeron  bellidifolius.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Simple  ;  hairy  ;  producing  offsets  from  the  base.  Root-leaves.— 
Somewhat  rounded  or  wedge-shaped.  Stem-leaves. — Somewhat  oblong  ; 
lance-shaped;  partly  clasping.  Flower-heads. — Rather  large;  on  slender 

276 


CXXX 


WILD   GERANIUM.— Geranium,  niaculatom. 

277 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

flower-stalks ;  composed    of   both    strap-shaped    and   tubular    flowers ;  tne 
former  (ray-flowers)  bluish-purple,  the  latter  (disk-flowers)  yellow. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  Composite  family 
to  make  its  appearance,  that  great  tribe  being  usually  associated 
with  the  late  summer  months.  The  flower  might  easily  be  taken 
for  a  purple  aster  which  had  mistaken  the  season,  or  for  a  blue 
daisy,  as  one  of  its  common  names  suggests. 


WILD  GERANIUM.     WILD  CRANESBILL. 

fPI    CXXX 

Geranium  maculatum.     Geranium  Family. 

Stem. — Erect ;  hairy.  Leaves. — About  five-parted,  the  divisions  lobed 
and  cut.  Flozvers. — Pale  pink-purple  ;  rather  large.  Calyx. — Of  five  se- 
pals. Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — With  five  styles, 
which  split  apart  at  maturity  so  elastically  as  to  discharge  the  seeds  to  some 
distance. 

In  spring  and  early  summer  the  open  woods  and  shaded 
roadsides  are  abundantly  brightened  with  these  graceful  flowers. 
They  are  of  peculiar  interest  because  of  their  close  kinship  with 
the  species,  G.  pratense,  which  first  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  German  scholar,  Sprengel,  to  the  close  relations  existing 
between  flowers  and  insects.  The  beak-like  appearance  of  its 
fruit  gives  the  plant  both  its  popular  and  scientific  names,  for 
geranium  is  from  the  Greek  for  crane.  The  specific  title, 
maculatum,  refers  to  the  somewhat  blotched  appearance  of  the 
older  leaves. 

WILD  PHLOX. 

Phlox  divaricata.     Polemonium  Family. 

Nine  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Stems. — Spreading  or  ascending.  Leaves. 
— Opposite;  oblong  or  lanc'e-oblong.  Flowers. — Pale  lilac-purple;  in  a 
loose,  spreading  cluster.  Calyx. — With  five  slender  teeth.  Corolla. — With 
a  five-parted  border;  salver- shaped  ;  with  a  long  tube.  Stamens. — Five; 
unequally  inserted  in  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  three- 
lobed  style. 

We  may  search  for  these  graceful,  delicately  tinted  Sowers  in 
the  rocky  woods  of  April  and  May. 

27* 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

Nearly  allied  to  them  is  the  wild  Sweet  William,  P.  maculata, 
the  pink-purple  blossoms  of  which  are  found  along  the  streams 
and  in  the  rich  woods  of  somewhat  southern  localities. 

The  beautiful  moss  pink,  P.  subulata  (p.  204),  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  this  genus. 

BLUE-EYED   MARY.     INNOCENCE. 

Collinsia  verna.     Figwort  Family. 

Six  to  twenty  inches  high.  Stems. — Branching ;  slender.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite ;  the  lower  oval,  the  upper  ovate-lance-shaped  ;  clasping  by  the  heart- 
shaped  base.  Flowers. — Blue  and  white,  long-stalked;  appearing  whorled 
in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Deeply  two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  two-cleft,  the  lower  three-cleft.  Stamens. 
—Four.  Pistil.—  One. 

Unfortunately  these  dainty  flowers  are  not  found  farther  east 
than  Western  New  York.  From  there  they  spread  south  and 
westward,  abounding  so  plentifully  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati 
that  the  moist  meadows  are  blue  with  their  blossoms  in  spring  or 
early  summer. 

BLUEBELLS.    VIRGINIAN  COWSLIP.    LUNGWORT. 

Mertensia  Virginica.     Borage  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.^  Stem. — Smooth ;  pale,  erect.  Leaves. — Oblong; 
veiny.  Flowers. — Blue,  pinkish  in  bud;  in  raceme-like  clusters  which  are 
rolled  up  from  the  end  and  straighten  as  the  flowers  expand.  Calyx. — Five- 
cleft.  Corolla. — Trumpet-shaped ;  one  inch  long  ;  spreading.  Stamens. — 
Five.  Pistil.—  One. 

These  very  lovely  blossoms  are  found  in  moist  places  during 
April  and  May  in  parts  of  New  York  as  well  as  south  and  west- 
ward. The  English  naturalist,  Mr.  Alfred  Wallace,  seeing  them, 
for  the  first  time,  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati,  writes  in  the 
Fortnightly  Review:  "  In  a  damp  river  bottom  the  exquisite 
blue  Mertensia  Virginica  was  found.  It  is  called  here  the  '  Vir- 
ginian cowslip,'  its  drooping  porcelain -blue  bells  being  somewhat 
1  ^  ;he  size  and  form  of  those  of  the  true  cowslip. 

379 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 


SEA  LUNGWORT. 

Mertensia  maritima.     Borage  Family. 

Smooth,  fleshy,  spreading.  Leaves. — Ovate  or  wedge-shaped,  with  a 
bloom.  Flowers. — Blue;  occasionally  white;  pink  in  bud;  clustered. 
Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Bell-shaped;  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  deeply  four-parted  ovary. 

On  the  sandy  beaches  along  the  coast  from  Massachusetts 
northward,  or  perhaps  on  the  pebbly  rocks,  the  sea-lungwort 
spreads  its  mats  of  pale,  bluish-green  leaves.  These  leaves  blend 
harmoniously  with  their  background  of  gray  sand,  or  of  rounded, 
wave-washed,  bluish  stones,  forming  oftentimes  great  beds  of 
foliage  so  symmetrical  in  their  star-like  or  horseshoe-shaped  out- 
lines as  to  suggest  the  gardener's  art  rather  than  the  wayward 
whims  of  an  undomesticated  plant.  The  pink  flower-buds  are 
noticeable  late  in  June.  They  open  into  small,  somewhat  bell- 
shaped  blue  or  occasionally  white  blossoms.  As  the  flowers  open 
one  by  one,  the  result  is  an  attractive  combination  of  delicate 
pinks  and  blues,  a  combination  which  recalls  the  kinship  of  these 
blossoms  with  the  blue-weed  and  the  forget-me-not. 


BLUE-EYED  GRASS. 

Sisyrinchium  angustifoliunt.     Iris  Family. 

Four  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — Narrow  and  grass-like.  Flowers. 
— Blue  or  purple,  with  a  yellow  centre.  Perianth. — Six-parted  ;  the  divisions 
bristle-pointed.  Stamens. — Three,  united.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  thread. 
like  stigmas. 

"  For  the  sun  is  no  sooner  risen  with  a  burning  heat, 
But  it  withereth  the  grass, 
And  the  flower  thereof  falleth, 
And  the  grace  of  the  fashion  of  it  perisheth." 

So  reads  the  passage  in  the  Epistle  of  St.  James,  which  seems 
so  graphically  to  describe  the  brief  life  of  this  little  flower  that 
we  might  almost  believe  the  Apostle  had  had  it  in  mind,  were  it 
to  be  found  in  the  East. 

280 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

The  blue-eyed  grass  belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the  showy 
fleur-de-lis,  and  blossoms  during  the  summer,  being  especially 
plentiful  in  moist  meadows.  It  is  sometimes  called  "eye- 
bright,"  which  name  belongs  by  rights  to  Euphrasia  officinalis. 

EYEBRIGHT. 

Euphrasia  officinalis.     Figwort  Family. 

Low;  branching.  Leaves. — Ovate  or  oval;  mottled.  Flowers. — Lav- 
ender or  nearly  white  ;  veined ;  lower  lip  patched  with  deep  orange-yellow ; 
small;  spiked.  Calyx. — Four-cleft.  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  upper  lip 
erect;  two-lobed  ;  lower  lip  spreading;  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four,  under 
upper  lip.  Pistil. — One. 

In  places  along  the  coast  of  Maine  this  cheery  little  plant, 
which  is  said  to  owe  its  generic  name  to  its  reported  healing 
properties,  but  which  might  well  be  called  "  cheerfulness"  on 
account  of  its  unfailing  sturdy  brightness,  carpets  thickly  the 
grassy  roadsides. 

ONE-FLOWERED  CANCER-ROOT. 

Aphyllon  uniflorum.     Broom-rape  Family. 

Scape. — Slender;  fleshy;  three  to  five  inches  high;  one  -  flowered. 
Leaves. — None.  Flower. — Pale  purple;  solitary;  one  inch  long;  withadel- 
kate  fragrance.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Somewhat  two-lipped  ;  with 
two  yellow  bearded  folds  in  the  throat.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One. 

• 

In  April  and  May  the  odd  pretty  flower  of  the  parasitic  one- 
flowered  cancer-root  is  found  in  the  damp  woodlands. 

VIOLET  WOOD  SORREL. 

Oxalis  violacea.     Geranium  Family. 

Scape.—  Five  to  nine  inches  high;  several-flowered.  Leaves. — Divided 
into  three  clover-like  leaflets.  Flowers. — Violet-colored;  clustered  on  the 
scape.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten. 
Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles. 

This  little  plant  is  found  in  somewhat  open  or  rocky  woods, 
its  lovely,  delicate  flower-clusters  appearing  in  May  or  June. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


This  species  is  more  common  southward,  while  the  pink-veined 
wood  sorrel  abounds  in  the  cool  woods  of  the  North. 


LARGER   BLUE  FLAG.      FLEUR  DE  LIS. 
Iris  versicolor.     Iris  Family. 

Stem. — Stout;  angled  on  one  side;  leafy;  one  to  three  feet  high. 
Leaves. — Flat  and  sword-shaped,  with  their  inner  surfaces  coherent  for 
about  half  of  their  length.  Flowers. — Large  and  showy;  violet-blue,  varie- 
gated with  green,  yellow,  or  white  ;  purple-veined.  Perianth. — Six-cleft; 
the  three  outer  divisions  recurved,  the  three  inner  smaller  and  erect.  Sta- 
mens.— Three,  covered  by  the  three  overarching,  petal-like  divisions  of  the 
style.  Pistil.— One,  with  its  style  cleft  into  three  petal-like  divisions,  each 
of  which  bears  its  stigma  on  its  inner  surface. 

"  Born  in  the  purple,  born  to  joy  and  pleasance, 

Thou  dost  not  toil  nor  spin, 
But  makest  glad  and  radiant  with  thy  presence 
The  meadow  and  the  lin."  * 

In  both  form  and  color  this  is  one  of  the  most  regal  of  our 
wild  flowers,  and  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  the  fleur-de-lis 
was  chosen  as  the  emblem  of  a  royal  house,  although  the  especial 
flower  which  Louis  VII.  of  France  selected  as  his  badge  was 
probably  white. 

It  will  surprise  most  of  us  to  learn  that  the  common  name 
which  we  have  borrowed  from  the  French  does  not  signify 
"  flower-of-the-lily,"  as  it  would  if  literally  translated,  but 
"  flower  of  Louis,"  Us  being  a  corruption  of  the  name  of  the 
king  who  first  adopted  it  as  his  badge. 

For  the  botanist  the  blue  flag  possesses  special  interest.  It  is 
a  conspicuous  example  of  a  flower  which  has  guarded  itself 
against  self-fertilization,  and  which  is  beautifully  calculated  to 
secure  the  opposite  result.  The  position  of  the  stamens  is  such 
that  their  pollen  could  not  easily  reach  the  stigmas  of  the  same 
flower,  for  these  are  borne  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  petal-like, 
overarching  styles.  There  is  no  prospect  here  of  any  seed  being 
set  unless  the  pollen  of  another  flower  is  secured.  Now  what  are 

'"Longfellow. 

5»8' 


PLATE   CXXXI 


F'owar 


SKULL-CAP.— Scutellari*  galericulata,. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

the  chances  in  favor  of  this  ?  They  are  many :  In  the  iirst 
place  the  blossom  is  unusually  large  and  showy,  from  its  size  and 
shape  alone  almost  certain  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  passing 
bee;  next,  the  color  is  not  only  conspicuous,  but  it  is  also  one 
which  has  been  found  to  be  especially  attractive  to  bees,  blue 
and  purple  flowers  being  particularly  sought  by  these  insects. 
When  the  bee  reaches  the  flower  he  alights  on  the  only  con- 
venient landing-place,  one  of  the  recurved  sepals  ;  following  the 
deep  purple  veins  which  experience  has  taught  him  lead  to  the 
hidden  nectar,  he  thrusts  his  head  below  the  anther,  brushing 
off  its  pollen,  which  he  carries  to  another  flower. 

The  rootstocks  of  the  Florentine  species  of  iris  yield  the 
familiar  ' '  orris-root. ' ' 

The  family  name  is  from  the  Greek  for  rainbow,  on  account 
of  the  rich  and  varied  hues  of  its  different  members. 

The  plant  abounds  in  wet  meadows,  the  blossoms  appear- 
ing in  June. 


SKULL-CAP. 

[PI.  CXXXI 

Scutdlaria.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Square;  usually  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  ob- 
long; lance-shaped  or  linear.  Flowers. — Blue.  Calyx. — Two-lipped;  the 
upper  lip  with  a  small,  helmet-like  appendage,  which  at  once  identifies  this 
genus.  Corolla. — Two-lipped ;  the  upper  lip  arched,  the  lateral  lobes  mostly 
connected  with  the  upper  lip,  the  lower  lip  spreading  and  notched  at  the 
apex.  Stamens. — Four,  in  pairs.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

The  prettiest  and  most  striking  of  this  genus  is  the  larger 
skull-cap,  S.  integrifolia,  whose  bright  blue  flowers  are  about  one 
inch  long,  growing  in  terminal  racemes.  In  June  and  July 
they  may  be  found  among  the  long  grass  of  the  roadsides  and 
meadows.  They  are  .easily  identified  by  the  curious  little  ap- 
pendage on  the  upper  part  of  the  calyx,  which  gives  to  this 
genus  its  common  name. 

Perhaps  the  best-known  member  of  the  group  is  the  mad-dog 
skull-cap,  S.  lateriflora,  which  delights  in  wet  places,  bearing 
small,  inconspicuous  flowers  in  one-sided  racemes.  This  plant 

284 


PLATE  CXXXII 


COMMON  SPEEDWELL.— Veronica  officinalis. 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

is  quite  smooth,  while  that  of  S.  integrifolia  is  rather  downy. 
It  was  formerly  believed  to  be  a  sure  cure  for  hydrophobia. 

S.  galericulata  is  usually  found  somewhat  northward.  Its 
flowers  are  much  larger  than  those  of  S.  lateriflora,  but  smaller 
than  those  of  S.  integrifolia.  They  grow  singly  from  the  axils 
of  the  upper  leaves. 


AMERICAN  BROOKLIME. 

Veronica  Americana.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem.  —  Smooth  ;  reclining  at  base,  then  erect  ;  eight  to  fifteen  inches 
high.  Leaves.  —  Mostly  opposite  ;  oblong  ;  toothed.  Floivers.  —  Blue  ;  clus- 
tered in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx.  —  Four-parted.  Corolla.  —  Wheel- 
shaped  ;  four-parted.  Stamens.  —  Two.  Pistil.  —  One. 

Perhaps  the  prettiest  of  the  blue  Veronicas  is  the  American 
brooklime.  Its  clustered  flowers  make  bright  patches  in  moist 
ground  which  might,  at  a  little  distance,  be  mistaken  for  beds 
of  forget-me-nots.  It  blossoms  from  June  till  August,  and  is 
almost  as  common  in  wet  ditches  and  meadows  as  its  sister,  the 
common  speedwell,  is  in  dry  and  open  places.  Some  of  the 
members  of  this  genus  were  once  believed  to  possess  great  me- 
dicinal virtues,  and  won  for  themselves  in  Europe  the  laudatory 
names  of  Honor  and  Praise. 


COMMON  SPEEDWELL. 

[PI.  CXXXII 
Veronica  officinalis.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem.  —  Prostrate;  rooting.  Leaves.  —  Short-stemmed;  downy;  toothed. 
Flowers.  —  Pale  blue  ;  small  ;  in  thick  clusters  which  grow  from  an  axil  of 
the  leaves.  Calyx.  —  Usually  four-parted.  Corolla.  —  Usually  four-parted. 
Stamens.  —  Two.  Pistil.  —  One. 

"  The  little  speedwell's  darling  blue"  is  noticeable  during 
June  and  July,  when  clusters  of  these  tiny  flowers  brighten  the 
roadside  banks. 


285 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 


THYME-LEAVED   SPEEDWELL. 

Veronica  serpyllifolia.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Much  branched  at  the  creeping  base  ;  almost  smooth.  Leaves. 
— Obscurely  toothed  ;  almost  smooth.  Flowers. — Whitish  or  pale  blue 
with  deeper  stripes ;  in  loose  terminal  clusters,  otherwise  as  in  above. 

The  thyme-leaved  speedwell  is  beginning  to  make  itself  con- 
spicuous on  our  lawns,  as  well  as  in  the  fields  and  along  the 
roadsides. 

WILD   LUPINE. 

Lupinus  perennis.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Erect;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  seven  to 
eleven  leaflets.  Flowers. — Blue ;  papilionaceous  ;  showy ;  in  a  long  ra- 
ceme. Pod. — Broad  ;  hairy. 

In  June  the  long  bright  clusters  of  the  wild  lupine  are 
very  noticeable  in  many  of  our  sandy  fields.  Its  pea-like 
blossoms  serve  easily  to  identify  it.  Under  date  of  June  8th, 
Thoreau  writes  :  "  The  lupine  is  now  in  its  glory.  ...  It 
paints  a  whole  hill-side  with  its  blue,  making  such  a  field  (if  not 
meadow)  as  Proserpine  might  have  wandered  in.  Its  leaf  was 
made  to  be  covered  with  dew-drops.  I  am  quite  excited  by 
this  prospect  of  blue  flowers  in  clumps,  with  narrow  intervals, 
such  a  profusion  of  the  heavenly,  the  Elysian  color,  as  if  these 
were  the  Elysian  fields.  .  .  .  That  is  the  value  of  the  lu- 
pine. The  earth  is  blued  with  it. ' ' 

FORGET-ME-NOT. 

Myosotis  laxa.     Borage  Family. 

Stems. — Slender.  Leaves. — Alternate,  lance-oblong.  Flowers. — Blue; 
small,  growing  in  a  raceme.  Calyx. — Five-lobed.  Corolla. — Salver-shaped, 
five-toothed.  Stamens.  —Five.  Pistil. — One. 

Along  the  banks  of  the  stream,  and  in  low,  wet  places, 
throughout  the  summer,  we  may  look  for  these  exquisite  little 
flowers.  Our  plant  is  smaller  and  less  luxuriant  than  the  Euro- 
pean species. 

286 


PLATE   CXXXIIJ 


WILD   LUPINE.— Lupinus  ferennis. 
287 


BLUE  AND  PURPLt 


PURPLE  FRINGED  ORCHISES. 

Orchis  Family. 
Habenaria  fimbriata. 

Leaves. — Oval  or  oblong ;  the  upper,  few,  passing  into  lance-shaped 
bracts.  Flowers. — Purple ;  rather  large  ;  with  a  fan-shaped,  three-parted 
lip,  its  divisions  fringed  ;  with  a  long  curving  spur  ;  growing  in  a  spike. 

Habenaria  psy  codes. 

Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped  ;  the  upper  passing  into  linear  bracts. 
Flowers. — Purple;  fragrant;  resembling  those  of  H.  fimbriata,  but  much 
smaller,  with  a  less  fringed  lip ;  growing  in  a  spike. 

We  should  search  the  wet  meadows  in  early  June  if  we  wish 
surely  to  be  in  time  for  the  larger  of  the  purple  fringed  orchises, 
for  H.  fimbriata  somewhat  antedates  H.  psycodes,  which  is  the 
commoner  species  of  the  two  and  appears  in  July.  Under  date 
of  June  pth,  Thoreau  writes:  "  Find  the  great  fringed-orchis  out 
apparently  two  or  three  days,  two  are  almost  fully  out,  two  or 
three  only  budded  ;  a  large  spike  of  peculiarly  delicate,  pale-pur- 
ple flowers  growing  in  the  luxuriant  and  shady  swamp,  amid  hel- 
lebores, ferns,  golden  senecio,  etc.  .  .  .  The  village  belle 
never  sees  this  more  delicate  belle  of  the  swamp.  ...  A 
beauty  reared  in  the  shade  of  a  convent,  who  has  never  strayed 
beyond  the  convent-bell.  Only  the  skunk  or  owl,  or  other  in- 
habitant of  the  swamp,  beholds  it." 


SELF-HEAL.     HEAL-ALL. 

Brunella  vulgaris.     Mint  Family. 

Stems. — Low.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  oblong.  Flowers. — Bluish-purple; 
in  a  spike  or  head.  Calyx. — Two-lipped  ;  upper  lip  with  three  short  teeth, 
the  lower  two-cleft.  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  the  upper  lip  arched,  entire, 
the  lower  spreading,  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  two- 
lobed  at  the  apex. 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country,  from 
June  until  September,  the  short,  close  spikes  of  the  self-heal  can 

288 

r  » 


PLATE  CXXXIV 


PURPLE  FRINGED  ORCH  IS.— Habenaria  fim'jriata 


PLATE   CXXXV 


vulgaru. 


289 


BLUE  AND   PURPLE 

be  found  along  the  roadsides.  The  botanical  name,  Brunclla, 
is  a  corruption  from  Prunella,  which  is  taken  from  the  German 
for  quinsy,  for  which  this  plant  was  considered  a  certain  cure. 
It  was  also  used  in  England  as  an  application  to  the  wounds  re- 
ceived by  rustic  laborers,  as  its  common  names,  carpenter's  herb, 
hook-heal,  and  sicklewort,  imply.  That  the  French  had  a  simi- 
lar practice  is  proved  by  an  old  proverb  of  theirs  to  the  effect 
that  ' '  No  one  wants  a  surgeon  who  keeps  Prunelle. ' ' 


BEARD-TONGUE. 

Pentstemon  pubescens,      Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high  ;  clammy  above.  Leaves. — Opposite;  ob 
long  to  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Dull  purple  or  partly  whitish;  showy;  in 
a  slender  open  cluster.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Tubular;  slightly 
dilated  ;  the  throat  nearly  closed  by  a  bearded  palate  ;  two-lipped  ;  the  upper 
lip  two-lobed,  the  lower  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four  ;  one  densely  bearded 
sterile  filament  besides.  Pistil. — One. 

These  pretty  flowers,  giving  in  the  distance  a  somewhat  hya- 
cinth-like effect,  are  found  in  summer  in  dry  or  rocky  places. 
They  are  especially  plentiful  somewhat  southward. 

The  white  beard-tongue  of  more  western  localities  is  P.  Digi- 
talis. This  is  a  very  effective  plant,  which  sometimes  reaches  a 
height  of  five  feet,  having  large  inflated  white  flowers 


ARETHUSA. 

Aretkusa  bulbosa.     Orchis  Family. 

Scape. — Sheathed  ;  from  a  globular  bulb  ;  usually  one-flowered.  Leaf. — 
' '  Solitary  ;  linear  ;  nerved  ;  hidden  in  the  sheaths  of  the  scape  ;  protruding 
after  flowering."  (Gray.)  Flower. — Rose-purple ;  large ;  with  a  bearded 
lip. 

In  some  localities  this  beautiful  flower  is  very  plentiful. 
Every  June  will  find  certain  New  England  marshes  tinged  with 
its  rose-purple  blossoms,  while  in  other  near  and  promising  bogs 
it  may  be  sought  vainly  for  years.  At  least  it  may  be  hoped  for 

290 


PLATE  CXXXVI 


A R  ET  H  U SA.— A rethusa  bulbosa. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

in  wet  places  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina,  its  most  favorite 
haunt  being  perhaps  a  cranberry-swamp.  Concerning  it,  Mr. 
Burroughs  writes  :  "  Arethusa  was  one  of  the  nymphs  who  at- 
tended Diana,  and  was  by  that  goddess  turned  into  a  fountain, 
that  she  might  escape  the  god  of  the  river  Alpheus,  who  became 
desperately  in  love  with  her  on  seeing  her  at  her  bath.  Our 
Arethusa  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  orchids,  and  has  been  pur- 
sued through  many  a  marsh  and  quaking-bog  by  her  lovers.  She 
is  a  bright  pink-purple  flower,  an  inch  or  more  long,  with  the 
odor  of  sweet  violets.  The  sepals  and  petals  rise  up  and  arch 
over  the  column,  which  we  may  call  the  heart  of  the  flower,  as 
ifshielding  it.  In  Plymouth  County,  Mass.,  where  the  Arethusa 
seems  common,  I  have  heard  it  called  Indian  pink." 


BLUE  VERVAIN.     SIMPLER'S  JOY. 

Verbena  hastata.     Vervain  Family. 

Four  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves, — Opposite;  somewhat  lance-shaped ;  the 
lower  often  lobed  and  sometimes  halberd-shaped  at  base.  Flowers. — Pur- 
ple; small;  in  slender  erect  spikes.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — 
Tubular,  somewhat  unequally  five-cleft.  Stamens. — Four;  in  pairs.  Pistil. 
—One. 

Along  the  roadsides  in  midsummer  we  notice  these  slender 
purple  spikes,  the  appearance  of  which  would  be  vastly  improved 
if  the  tiny  blossoms  would  only  consent  to  open  simultaneously. 

In  earlier  times  the  vervain  was  beset  with  classic  associa- 
tions. It  was  claimed  as  the  plant  which  Virgil  and  other  poets 
mention  as  being  used  for  altar-decorations  and  for  the  garlands 
of  sacrificial  beasts.  It  was  believed  to  be  the  herba  sacra  of 
the  ancients,  until  it  was  understood  that  the  generic  title  Ver- 
bena was  a  word  which  was  applied  to  branches  of  any  de- 
scription which  were  used  in  religious  rites.  It  certainly  seems, 
however,  to  have  been  applied  to  some  special  plant  in  the  time 
of  Pliny,  for  he  writes  that  no  plant  was  more  honored  among 
the  Romans  than  the  sacred  Verbena.  In  more  modern  times 
as  well  the  vervain  has  been  regarded  as  an  * '  herb  of  grace, ' ' 

291 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 

and  has  been  gathered  with  various  ceremonies  and  with  the  in- 
vocation of  a  blessing,  which  began  as  follows : 

"  Hallowed  be  thou,  Vervain, 
As  thou  growest  on  the  ground, 
For  in  the  Mount  of  Calvary 
There  thou  wast  first  found. " 

It  was  then  supposed  to  be  endued  with  especial  virtue,   and 
was  worn  on  the  person  to  avert  disaster. 

The  time-honored  title  of  simpler's  joy  arose  from  the  re- 
muneration which  this  popular  plant  brought  to  the  "simplers" 
— as  the  gatherers  of  medicinal  herbs  were  entitled. 

MONKEY-FLOWER. 

Mimulus  ringens.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Square;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  oblong  or 
lance-shaped.  Ffavers. — Pale  violet-purple,  rarely  white  ;  growing  singly 
from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-angled;  five-toothed;  the  upper 
tooth  largest.  Corolla. — Tubular;  two-lipped;  the  upper  lip  erect  or 
spreading,  two-lobed,  the  lower  spreading  and  three-lobed ;  the  throat 
closed.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma. 

From  July  onward  the  monkey- flowers  tinge  the  wet  fields 
and  border  the  streams  and  ponds;  not  growing  in  the  water 
like  the  pickerel -weed,  but  seeking  a  hummock  in  the  swamp,  or 
a  safe  foothold  on  the  brook's  edge,  where  they  can  absorb  the 
moisture  requisite  to  their  vigorous  growth. 

The  name  is  a  diminutive  of  mimus — a  buffoon,  and  refers  to 
the  somewhat  grinning  blossom.  The  plant  is  a  common  one 
throughout  the  eastern  part  of  the  country. 

WATER    SHIELD. 

Brasenia  peltata.     Water  Lily  Family. 

Leaves. — Floating;  shield- shaped  ;  long-stemmed.  Flowers. — Dull  pur- 
ple ;  small;  growing  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — '"Of  three  or 
four  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  or  four  linear  petals.  Stamens. — Twelve 
to  eighteen.  Pistils. — Four  to  eighteen,  forming  little  club-shaped  pods. 

This  plant  is  found  growing  in  many  of  our  ponds  and  slow 
streams.  Its  inconspicuous  flowers  -appear  in  summer.  Perhaps 

2Q2 


BLUE   AND   PURPL£ 

its  most  noticeable  characteristic  is  the  gelatinous  matter  which 
coats  its  long  stems,  its  leaf  and  flower  stalks,  and  the  lower  sur- 
face of  its  floating  leaves. 

CORN  COCKLE. 

Lychnis  Githago.     Pink  Family. 

About  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite ;  long  and  narrow ;  pale 
green ;  with  silky  hairs.  Flowers. — Rose-purple  ;  large ;  long-stalked. 
Calyx-lobes. — Five;  long  and  slender,  exceeding  the  petals.  Corolla. — Of 
five  broad  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles, 

In  many  countries  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  noticeable 
flowers  are  commonly  found  in  grain-fields.  England's  scarlet 
poppies  flood  her  farm-lands  with  glorious  color  in  early  summer ; 
while  the  bluets  lighten  the  corn-fields  of  France.  Our  grain- 
fields  seem  to  have  no  native  flower  peculiar  to  them ;  but  often 
we  find  a  trespasser  of  foreign  descent  hiding  among  the  wheat 
or  straying  to  the  roadsides  in  early  summer,  whose  deep-tinted 
blossoms  secure  an  instant  welcome  from  the  flower-lover  if  not 
from  the  farmer.  "  What  hurte  it  doeth  among  the  corne  !  the 
spoyle  unto  bread,  as  well  in  colour,  taste,  and  unwholesomeness, 
is  better  known  than  desired,"  wrote  Gerarde.  The  large  dark 
seeds  fill  the  ground  wheat  with  black  specks,  and  might  be  in- 
jurious if  existing  in  any  great  quantity.  Its  former  generic 
name  was  Agrostemma,  signifying  crown  of  the  fields.  Its  pres- 
ent one  of  Lychnis,  "Signifies  a  light  or  lamp. 

BEACH  PEA. 

Lathyrus  maritimus.     Pulse  Family. 

About  one  foot  high,  or  more.  Stem. — Stout.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
from  three  to  five  pairs  of  thick  oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous; 
large  ;  purple ;  clustered. 

The  deep-hued  flowers  of  this  stout  plant  are  commonly  found 
along  the  sand-hills  of  the  seashore,  and  also  on  the  shores  of 
the  Great  Lakes,  blooming  in  early  summer.  Both  flowers  and 
leaves  are  at  once  recognized  as  belonging  to  the  Pulse  family. 

293 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


MARSH  VHTCHLiNG. 

Lathy  rus  palustris.     Pulse  Family. 

Stems. — Slender;  one  to  three  feet  long.  Leaves. — Divided  into  two  to 
four  pairs  of  narrowly  oblong  to  linear  leaflets.  Flowers. — Purple  ;  papi- 
lionaceous ;  clustered. 

The  marsh  vetchling  is  found  in  wet  places  from  New  York 
northward  and  westward. 


Strophostyles  angulosa.     Pulse  Family. 

Stems. — Branched;  one  to  six  feet  long;  prostrate,  or  climbing.  Leaves, 
— Divided  into  three  leaflets,  which  are  more  or  less  prominently  lobed 
toward  the  base,  the  terminal  two-lobed;  or  some  or  all  without  lobes. 
Flowers. — Purplish  or  greenish;  on  long  flower-stalks.  Pods. — Linear; 
straight,  or  nearly  so. 

This  somewhat  inconspicuous  plant  is  found  back  of  the 
sand-hills  along  the  coast,  often  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
beach  pea,  and  climbing  over  river-banks,  thickets,  and  fences 
as  well.  It  can  usually  be  identified  by  its  oddly  lobed  leaflets. 


BLUE  VETCH. 

Vicia  Cracca.     Pulse  Family. 

Leaves. — Divided  into  twenty  to  twenty- four  leaflets,  with  slender  tips. 
Flowers. — Papilionaceous;  blue,  turning  purple;  growing  in  close,  many- 
flowered,  one-sided  spikes. 

This  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe  which  is  found  along  road- 
sides and  in  some  of  our  eastern  fields  and  thickets  as  far  south 
as  New  Jersey.  It  usually  climbs  more  or  less  by  means  of  the 
tendril  at  the  tip  of  its  divided  leaves,  and  sometimes  forms 
bright  patches  of  vivid  blue  over  the  meadows. 

Another  member  of  this  genus  is  V.  sativa,  the  common 

204 


PLATE   CXXXVH 


Fruit 


BLUE   VETCH.—  Vicia  Cracca. 
295 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 

vetch  or  tare,  with  purplish  or  pinkish  flowers,  growing  singly 
or  in  pairs  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  which  leaves  are  divided 
into  fewer  leaflets  than  those  of  the  blue  vetch.  This  species  also 
takes  possession  of  cultivated  fields,  as  well  as  of  waste  places  along 
the  roadside. 

WILD   MINT. 

Mentha  Canadensis.      Mint  Family. 

Leaves,  —  Opposite;  aromatic;  oval  to  lance-shaped  ;  toothed;  tapering 
to  both  ends.  Flowers. — Small ;  purplish  or  whitish  ;  in  globular  clusters 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-toothed  Corolla. — Four-cleft; 
the  upper  lobe  broadest  and  sometimes  notched.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. 
— One,  with  a  two-lobed  style.  Ovary- — Deeply  four-lobed. 

In  wet  places,  throughout  the  Northern  States,  we  find  our 
native  wild  mint. 

SPEARMINT. 

Mentha  viridis.      Mint  Family. 

Leaves. — Opposite;  aromatic;  unequally  toothed;  narrowly  oblong; 
sessile,  or  nearly  so.  Flowers. — Small;  purple  or  whitish  ;  in  narrow,  leaf- 
less, densely  crowded  spikes  ;  otherwise  as  in  above. 

In  wet  places,  in  all  cultivated  districts,  we  find  the  spear- 
mint, this  plant  being  an  escape  from  gardens. 


PEPPERMINT. 

Mentha  Piperita.     Mint  Family. 

Leaves. — Opposite;  aromatic;  with  leaf-stems;  sharply  toothed;  pun- 
gent-tasting. Flowers. — Small ;  purple  or  whitish;  in  loose,  narrow,  in- 
terrupted leafless  spikes ;  otherwise  as  in  above. 

The  peppermint  is  another  European  emigrant,  and  an 
escape  from  gardens,  which  has  made  itself  thoroughly  at  home 
along  our  brooks. 

296 


PLATE  CXXXVIII 


PEPPERMINT.—  Mentha  piperUa. 


PLATE   CXXX,X 


BLU  E  W  E  E  D . —Echium  vulgan. 
297 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 


BLUEWEED.    VIPER'S  BUGLOSS. 

[PI.  CXXXIX 

Echium  vulgare.     Borage  Family. 

Stem. — Rough;  bristly;  erect;  about  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alter- 
nate ;  lance- shaped  ;  set  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers. — Bright  blue  ;  spiked 
on  one  side  of  the  branches,  which  are  at  first  rolled  up  from  the  end, 
straightening  as  the  blossoms  expand.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  somewhat  unequal,  spreading  lobes.  Stamens. — Five;  protruding; 
red.  Pistil.— One. 

When  the  blueweed  first  came  to  us  from  across  the  sea  it 
secured  a  foothold  in  Virginia.  Since  then  it  has  gradually 
worked  its  way  northward,  lining  the  Hudson's  shores,  over- 
running many  of  the  dry  fields  in  its  vicinity,  and  making  itself 
at  home  in  parts  of  New  England.  We  should  be  obliged  to 
rank  it  among  the  "  pestiferous"  weeds  were  it  not  that,  as  a 
rule,  it  only  seeks  to  monopolize  land  which  is  not  good  for  very 
much  else.  The  pinkish  buds  and  bright  blue  blossoms,  with 
their  red  protruding  stamens,  make  a  valuable  addition,  from  the 
aesthetic  point  of  view,  to  the  bunch  of  midsummer  field-flowers 
in  which  hitherto  the  various  shades  of  red  and  yellow  have  pre- 
dominated. 


VENUS'S  LOOKING-GLASS. 

Specularia  perfoliata.     Campanula  Family. 

Stem. — Somewhat  hairy;  three  to  twenty  inches  high.  Leaves.— 
Toothed ;  rounded  ;  clasping  by  the  heart-shaped  base.  Flowers. — Blue. 
Calyx.—  Three,  four,  or  five-lobed.  Corolla.—  Wheel- shaped ;  five-lobed. 
Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas. 

We  borrow  from  Mr.  Burrough's  "Bunch  of  Herbs"  a  de- 
scription of  this  little  plant,  which  blossoms  from  May  till  Au- 
gust. "A  pretty  and  curious  little  weed,  sometimes  found 
growing  in  the  edge  of  the  garden,  is  the  clasping  specularia,  a 
relative  of  the  harebell  and  of  the  European  Venus's  looking- 
glass.  Its  leaves  are  shell-shaped,  and  clasp  the  stalk  so  as  to 
form  little  shallow  cups.  In  the  bottom  of  each  cup  three  buds 

298 


PLATE  CXL 


PICKEREL-WEED.— Ponlederia  cordata. 


PLATE  CXLI 


H A R  E B E LL.— Campanula  rolundifolia. 


BLUE  AND   PURPLE 

appear  that  never  expand  into  flowers,  but  when  the  top  of  the 
stalk  is  reached,  one  and  sometimes  two  buds  open  a  large,  deli- 
cate purple-blue  corolla.  All  the  first-born  of  this  plant  are  still- 
born as  it  were ;  only  the  latest,  which  spring  from  its  summit, 
attain  to  perfect  bloom." 


PICKEREL-WEED. 

IPI.  CXL 
Pontcdaria  cordata.     Pickerel-weed  Family. 

Stem. — Stout;  usually  one-leaved.  Leaves. — Arrow  or  heart-shaped. 
Flowers. — Blue;  fading  quickly ;  with  an  unpleasant  odor;  growing  in  a 
dense  spike.  Perianth. — Two-lipped ;  the  upper  lip  three-lobed  and  marked 
with  a  double  greenish-yellow  spot,  the  lower  of  three  spreading  divisions. 
Stamens. — Six  ;  three  long  and  protruding,  the  three  others,  which  are  often 
imperfect,  very  short  and  inserted  lower  down.  Pistil. — One. 

The  pickerel-weed  grows  in  such  shallow  water  as  the  pick- 
erel seek,  or  else  in  moist,  wet  places  along  the  shores  of  streams 
and  rivers.  We  can  look  for  the  blue,  closely  spiked  flowers 
from  late  July  until  some  time  in  September.  They  are  often 
found  near  the  delicate  arrow-head. 


HAREBELL. 

[Pi.  CXLI 
Campanula  rotundifolia.     Campanula  Family. 

Stem. — Slender;  branching;  from  five  to  twelve  inches  high.  Root- 
leaves. —  Heart-shaped  or  ovate;  early  withering.  Stem-leaves. — Numer- 
ous; long  and  narrow.  Flowers. — Bright  blue;  nodding  from  hair-like 
stalks.  Calyx.  —  Five-cleft;  the  lobes  awl-shaped.  Corolla. — Bell-shaped; 
five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas. 

This  slender,  pretty  plant,  hung  with  its  tremulous  flowers, 
springs  from  the  rocky  cliffs  which  buttress  the  river  as  well  as 
from  those  which  crown  the  mountain.  I  have  seen  the  west 
shore  of  the  Hudson  bright  with  its  delicate  bloom  in  June,  and 
the  summits  of  the  Catskills  tinged  with  its  azure  in  September. 
The  drooping  posture  of  these  flowers  protects  their  pollen  from 
rain  or  dew.  They  have  come  to  us  from  Europe,  and  are  iden- 
tical, I  believe,  with  the  celebrated  Scotch  bluebells. 

299 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


EUROPEAN  BELLFLOWER. 

Campanula  rapunculoides.     Campanula  Family. 

Stem. — Erect;  slender;  usually  rather  tall.  Stem-leaves. — Narrowly 
oval ;  pointed ;  alternate ;  the  lower  ones  long-stemmed  and  heart-shaped. 
Flowers. — Blue  or  purple  ;  bell-shaped;  nodding.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Co- 
rolla.— About  one  inch  long;  bell-shaped;  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five. 
Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas,  which  unfold  rather  late  in  the  flower's 
life. 

This  European  bellflower  has  become  very  common  in  parts 
of  the  country  ;  especially  in  New  England  it  brightens  the 
fields  and  roadsides  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  villages  and  farm- 
houses from  whose  gardens  originally  it  made  its  escape. 

NIGHTSHADE. 

Solanum  Dulcamara.     Nightshade  Family- 

Stem. — Usually  somewhat  climbing  or  twining.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped ; 
the  upper  halberd- shaped  or  with  ear-like  lobes  or  leaflets  at  the  base.  Flow- 
ers.— Purple;  in  small  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Five- 
parted;  wheel-shaped.  Stamens. — Five;  yellow;  protruding.  Pistil. — 
One.  Fruit. — A  red  berry. 

The  purple  flowers,  which  at  once  betray  their  kinship  with 
the  potato  plant,  and,  in  late  summer,  the  bright  red  berries  of 
the  nightshade,  cluster  about  the  fences  and  clamber  over  the 
moist  banks  which  line  the  highway.  This  plant,  which  was  im- 
ported from  Europe,  usually  indicates  the  presence  of  civilization. 
It  is  not  poisonous  to  the  touch,  as  is  often  supposed,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  berries  have  the  baneful  power  attributed  to  them. 
Thoreau  writes  regarding  them:  "The  Solanum  Dulcamara 
berries  are  another  kind  which  grow  in  drooping  clusters.  I  do 
not  know  any  clusters  more  graceful  and  beautiful  than  these 
drooping  cymes  of  scented  or  translucent,  cherry-colored  ellip- 
tical berries.  .  .  .  They  hang  more  gracefully  over  the 
river's  brim  than  any  pendant  in  a  lady's  ear.  Yet  they  are 
considered  poisonous  ;  not  to  look  at  surely.  .  .  .  But  why 
should  they  not  be  poisonous  ?  Would  it  not  be  bad  taste  to 
eat  these  berries  which  are  ready  to  feed  another  sense?  " 

300 


PLATE    CKLIt 


Fruit 

NIGHTSHADE  -Solanurr  Dulcamara. 

301 


BLUE  AND   PURPLE 


COMMON  MOTHERWORT. 

Leonurus  cardiaca.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Tall  and  upright.  Leaves. — Opposite  ;  the  lower  rounded  and 
lobed;  the  floral  wedge-shaped  at  base  and  three-cleft.  Flowers. — Pale 
purple;  in  close  whorls  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — "With  five 
nearly  equal  teeth,  which  are  awl-shaped,  and  when  old  rather  spiny-pointed 
and  spreading."  (Gray.)  Corolla. — Two-lipped;  the  upper  lip  somewhat 
arched  and  bearded,  the  lower  three-lobed  and  spreading.  Stamens. — Four  ; 
in  pairs.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

The  tall,  erect  stems,  opposite  leaves,  and  regular  whorls  of 
closely  clustered,  pale  purple  flowers  help  us  easily  to  identify  the 
motherwort,  if  identification  be  needed,  for  it  seems  as  though 
such  old-fashioned,  time-honored  plants  as  catnip,  tansy,  and 
motherwort,  which  cling  so  persistently  to  the  skirts  of  the  old 
homestead  in  whose  domestic  economy  they  once  played  so  im- 
portant a  part,  should  be  familiar  to  us  all. 


INDIAN  TOBACCO. 

Lobelia  inflata.     Lobelia  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching  from  the  root.  Leaves. — 
Ovate  or  oblong  ;  somewhat  toothed.  Flowers. — Blue  or  purple ;  growing 
in  a  long  raceme.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — With  a  straight  tube  split 
down  what  is  apparently  the  upper  side ;  somewhat  two-lipped  ;  the  upper 
lip  of  two  rather  erect  lobes,  the  lower  spreading  and  three-cleft.  Stamens. 
— Five;  united  into  a  tube.  Pistil. — One.  Pod. — Much  inflated. 

During  the  summer  we  note  in  the  dry,  open  fields  the  blue 
racemes  of  the  Indian  tobacco,  and  in  the  later  year  the  inflated 
pods  which  give  it  its  specific  name.  The  plant  is  said  to  be 
poisonous  if  taken  internally,  and  yields  a  "  quack-medicine  "  of 
some  notoriety.  The  Indians  smoked  its  dried  leaves,  which  im- 
part to  the  tongue  a  peculiar  tobacco-like  sensation. 


302 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

BLUE   LOBELIAS. 

Lobelia  Family. 

There  are  several  other  blue  lobelias  which  attract  our  atten- 
tion from  time  to  time,  their  flowers  in  general  structure  resem- 
bling those  of  the  Indian  tobacco. 

The  blossoms  of  L.  puberula  are  bright  blue,  and  half  an 
inch  in  length.  They  are  found  in  moist  sandy  places  to  the 
south  and  west. 

L.  spicata  is  a  very  common  species.  Its  slender  leafy  stem 
is  from  one  to  four  feet  high.  Its  small  flowers  resemble  those 
of  Indian  tobacco ;  its  pod,  however,  is  not  inflated,  as  is  that  of 
the  latter  plant. 

WATER   LOBELIAS. 

^obelia  Dortmanna.     Lobelia  Family. 

Six  to  eighteen  inches  high,  growing  in  shallow  water.  Leaves. — 
Tufted  at  the  root;  linear;  growing  beneath  the  water.  Flowers. — Blue, 
in  a  loose  terminal  cluster.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Somewhat  two- 
lipped.  Stamens. — Five,  united  in  a  style.  Pistil. — One. 

The  water  lobelia  is  found  in  the  shallow  water  of  ponds. 
Its  pretty,  pale-blue  flower  clusters  are  noticeable  from  July  to 
September. 

» 
AMERICAN  PENNYROYAL. 

Hedeoma  pulegioides.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Square;  low;  erect;  branching.  Leaves. — Opposite;  aromatic; 
small.  Flowers. — Purplish  ;  small ;  whorled  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Ca- 
lyx.— Two-lipped;  upper  lip  three-toothed,  the  lower  two-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Two-lipped ;  upper  erect,  notched  at  apex,  the  lower  spreading  and  three- 
cleft.  Fertile  stamens.— Two.  Pistil.— -One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

This  well-known,  strong-scented  little  plant  is  found  through- 
out the  greater  part  of  the  country,  blossoming  in  midsummer. 
Its  taste  and  odor  nearly  resemble  those  of  the  true  pennyroyal, 
Mentha  pulegium,  of  Europe. 

303 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


SEA  LAVENDER.    MARSH  ROSEMARY. 

Statice  Caroliniana.     Leadwort  Family. 

Stems. — Leafless;  branching.  Leaves, — From  the  root;  somewhat  ob- 
long ;  thick.  Flowers. — Lavender  color  or  pale  purple  ;  tiny  ;  scattered  or 
roosely  spiked  along  one  side  of  the  branches.  Calyx. — Dry  ;  funnel-form. 
Corolla. — Small;  with  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with 
five,  rarely  three,  styles. 

In  August  many  of  the  salt  marshes  are  blue  with  the  tiny 
flowers  of  the  sea  lavender.  The  spray-like  appearance  of  the 
little  plant  would  seem  to  account  for  its  name  of  rosemary, 
which  is  derived  from  the  Latin  for  sea-spray,  but  Dr.  Prior 
states  that  this  name  was  given  it  on  account  of  "  its  usually 
growing  on  the  sea-coast,  and  its  odor." 

Blossoming  with  the  lavender  we  often  find  the  great  rose 
mallows  and  the  dainty  sea  pinks.  The  marsh  St.  John's-wort 
as  well  is  frequently  a  neighbor,  and,  a  little  later  in  the  season, 
the  salt  marsh  fleabane. 


SEA  ROCKET. 

Cakile  Americana.     Mustard  Family. 

Leaves. — Smooth;  fleshy;  obovate  ;  wavy-toothed.  Flowers. — Purplish; 
small ;  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  four  early  falling  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four 
petals  growing  opposite  in  pairs.  Stamens. — Six  ;  two  inserted  lower  down 
and  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil.  — One.  Fruit.  — A  short,  two-jointed  pod. 

In   sand  along  the  sea-shore  this  smooth,  fleshy,  branching 
plant,  with  its  purplish  flowers,  is  a  common  feature. 


WILD   BERGAMOT. 

Monarda  fistulas  a.     Mint  Family. 

Two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite;  fragrant;  toothed.  Flow- 
ers.— Purple  or  purplish-dotted ;  growing  in  a  solitary,  terminal  head,  as  in 
Oswego  tea,  p.  264.  Calyx. — Tubular;  elongated;  five-toothed.  Corolla. 
— Elongated;  two-lipped.  Stamens. — Two;  elongated.  Pistil. — One, 
with  style  two-lobed  at  apex. 

Although  the  wild  bergamot  is  occasionally  found   in  our 
eastern  woods,  it  is  far  more  abundant  westward,  where  it  is 

304 


PLATE   CXLIil 


SEA  LAVENDER.— Statist  Caroltnfatu* 


CLUE  AND  PURPLE 

found  in  rocky  places  in  summer.  This  is  a  near  relative  of 
the  Oswego  tea,  which  it  closely  resembles  in  its  manner  of 
growth. 

DAY-FLOWER. 

Commelina  Virginica.     Spiderwort  Family. 

Stem. — Slender  ;  branching.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped  to  linear  ;  the  floral 
ones  heart-shaped  and  clasping,  folding  so  as  to  enclose  the  flowers.  Flow- 
ers.  —  Blue.  Calyx. — Of  three  unequal  somewhat  colored  sepals;  the  two 
lateral  ones  partly  united.  Corolla. — Of  three  petals  ;  two  large,  rounded, 
pale  blue  ;  one  small,  whitish,  and  inconspicuous.  Stamens. — Six  ;  unequal 
in  size ;  three  small  and  sterile,  with  yellow  cross-shaped  anthers  ;  three  fer- 
tile, one  of  which  is  bent  inward.  Pistil. — One. 

The  odd  day-flower  is  so  named  because  its  delicate  blossoms 
expand  only  for  a  single  morning.  At  the  first  glance  there  seem 
to  be  but  two  petals  which  are  large,  rounded,  and  of  a  delicate 
shade  of  blue.  A  closer  examination,  however,  discovers  still 
another,  so  inconspicuous  in  form  and  color  as  to  escape  the 
notice  of  the  casual  observer.  This  inequality  recalls  the  quaint 
tradition  as  to  the  origin  of  the  plant's  generic  name.  There 
were  three  brothers  Commelin,  natives  of  Holland.  Two  of 
them  were  botanists  of  repute,  while  the  tastes  of  the  third  had 
a  less  marked  botanical  tendency.  The  genus  was  dedicated  to 
the  trio  :  the  two  large  bright  petals  commemorating  the  brother 
botanists,  while  the  small  and  unpretentious  one  perpetuates  the 
memory  of  him  who  was  so  unwise  as  to  take  little  or  no  inter- 
est in  so  noble  a  science.  These  flowers  appear  throughout  the 
summer  in  cool  woods  and  on  moist  banks. 


HIGH  MALLOW. 

Malva  sylvestris.     Mallow  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  three  feet  high  ;  erect ;  branched.  Leaves. — Five  to 
seven-lobed.  Flowers. — Purple  or  pink  ;  rather  large.  Calyx. — Of  five  se- 
pals, with  three  bracts  below.  Corolla. — Of  five  somewhat  heart-shaped 
petals.  Stamens. — United  in  a  column.  Pistils. — Several. 

The  high  mallow  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe,  which  we  en- 
counter frequently  along  our  roadsides  in  summer. 

306 


PLATE    CXLIV 


Fruit. 


HOG   PEANUT.— Antphicarpa-a,  monoica. 
307 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE. 


HOG  PEANUT. 

[PI.  CXLIV 

Amphicarpcea  monoica.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing  and  twining  over  plants  and  shrubs.  Leaves.  • — Divided 
into  three  somewhat  four-sided  leaflets.  Flowers.  —  Papilionaceous;  pale 
lilac  or  purplish ;  in  nodding  racemes.  Pod. — One  inch  long. 

Along  the  shadowy  lanes  which  wind  through  the  woods  the 
climbing  members  of  the  Pulse  family  are  very  abundant.  Dur- 
ing the  late  summer  and  autumn  the  lonely  wayside  is  skirted  by 

"  Vines,  with  clust'ring bunches  growing; 
Plants,  with  goodly  burden  bowing." 

And  in  and  out  among  this  luxuriant  growth  twist  the  slender 
stems  of  the  ill-named  hog  pea-nut,  its  delicate  lilac  blossoms 
nodding  from  the  coarse  stalks  of  the  golden-rods  and  iron- 
weeds,  or  blending  with  the  purple  asters. 

This  plant  bears  flowers  of  two  kinds :  the  upper  ones  are 
perfect,  but  apparently  useless,  as  they  seldom  ripen  fruit ;  while 
the  lower  or  subterranean  ones  are  without  petals  or  attractiveness 
of  appearance,  but  yield  eventually  at  least  one  large  ripe  seed. 


CHICKORY*    SUCCORY. 

Cichorium  Intybus.     Composite  Family. 


' '  Oh,  not  in  Ladies'  gardens, 
My  peasant  posy ! 
Smile  thy  dear  blue  eyes, 
Nor  only — nearer  to  the  skies — 
In  upland  pastures,  dim  and  sweet,— 
But  by  the  dusty  road 
Where  tired  feet 
Toil  to  and  fro ; 

308 


PLATE  CXLV 


CHICORY.— Cichorium  Intybus. 
309 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

Where  flaunting  Sin 
May  see  thy  heavenly  hu«, 
Or  weary  Sorrow  look  from  thee 
Toward  a  more  tender  blue."  * 

This  roadside  weed  blossoms  in  late  summer.  It  is  exten- 
sively cultivated  in  France,  where  the  leaves  are  blanched  and 
used  in  a  salad  which  is  called  "  Bar  be  des  Capucins."  The 
roots  are  roasted  and  mixed  with  coffee,  both  there  and  in  Eng- 
land. 

Horace  mentions  its  leaves  as  part  of  his  frugal  fare,  and 
Pliny  remarks  upon  the  importance  of  the  plant  to  the  Egyptians, 
who  formerly  used  it  in  great  quantities,  and  of  whose  diet  it  is 
still  a  staple  article. 


PURPLE  AVENS.    WATER  AVENS. 

Geum  rivale.     Rose  Family. 

Stems. — About  two  feet  high;  several-flowered.  Root-leaves. — Deeply 
parted.  Stem-leaves. — Few  ;  three-parted  (into  three  leaflets)  or  three-lobed. 
Flowers. — Large  ;  purplish.  Calyx. — Brown-purple  ;  deeply  five-cleft. 
Corolla. — Of  five  petals,  these  contracted  into  claws.  Stamens. — Many. 
Pistils. — Numerous. 

During  the  summer,  in  wet  meadows,  we  notice  the  nodding 
flowers  of  the  water  avens. 


BLUE   LINARIA.    BLUE  TOADFLAX. 

Linaria  Canadensis.     Figwort  Family. 

Stems.  — Slender  ;  six  to  thirty  inches  high.  Leaves. — Linear.  Flowers. 
— Pale  blue  or  purple ;  small;  in  a  long  terminal  raceme.  Calyx. — Five- 
parted.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  with  a  slender  spur ;  closed  in  the  throat. 
Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One. 

The  slender  spikes  of  the  blue  linaria  flank  the  sandy  road- 
sides nearly  all  summer,  and  even  in  November  we  find  a  few 

*  Margaret  Deland. 
310 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


delicate  blossoms  still  left  upon  the  elongated  stems.  These 
flowers  have  a  certain  spirituality  which  is  lacking  in  their  hand- 
some, self-assertive  relation,  butter-and-eggs. 


GREAT  LOBELIA. 

Lobelia  syphilitica.     Lobelia  Family. 

Stem. — Leafy;  somewhat  hairy;  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Al- 
ternate ;  ovate  to  lance-shaped ;  thin ;  irregularly  toothed.  Flowers. — 
Rather  large ;  light  blue ;  spiked.  Calyx. — Five-cleft ;  with  a  short  tube 
Corolla. — Somewhat  two-lipped ;  the  upper  lip  of  two  rather  erect  lobes,  the 
lower  spreading  and  three-cleft.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  fringed  stigma. 

The  great  lobelia  is  a  striking  plant  which  grows  in  low 
ground,  flowering  from  midsummer  into  the  fall.  In  some  places 
it  is  called  "  High-Belia,"  a  pun  which  is  supposed  to  reflect 
upon  the  less  tall  and  conspicuous  species,  such  as  the  Indian 
tobacco,  L.  inflata,  which  are  found  flowering  at  the  same  season. 

If  one  of  its  blossoms  is  examined,  the  pistil  is  seen  to  be  en- 
closed by  the  united  stamens  in  such  a  fashion  as  to  secure  self- 
fertilization,  one  would  suppose.  But  it  is  hardly  probable  that 
a  flower  so  noticeable  as  this,  and  wearing  a  color  as  popular  as 
blue,  should  have  adorned  itself  so  lavishly  to  no  purpose.  Con- 
sequently we  are  led  to  inquire  more  closely  into  its  domestic 
arrangements.  Our  cariosity  is  rewarded  by  the  discovery  that 
the  lobes  of  the  stigma  are  so  tightly  pressed  together  that  they 
can  at  first  receive  no  pollen  upon  their  sensitive  surfaces.  We 
also  find  that  the  anthers  open  only  by  a  pore  at  their  tips,  and 
when  irritated  by  the  jar  of  a  visiting  bee,  discharge  their  pollen 
upon  its  body  through  these  outlets.  This  being  accomplished 
the  fringed  stigma  pushes  forward,  brushing  aside  whatever 
pollen  may  have  fallen  within  the  tube.  Finally,  when  it  pro- 
jects beyond  the  anthers,  it  opens,  and  is  ready  to  receive  its 
pollen  from  the  next  insect- visitor. 

The  genus  is  named  after  an  early  Flemish  herbalist,  dfc 
1'Obel. 


SLUE   AND   PURPLft, 

BLUE  AND  PURPLE  ASTERS. 

Aster.     Composite  Family. 

Flower-heads. — Composed  of  blue  or  purple  ray- flowers,  with  a  centre  t\ 
yellow  disk-flowers. 

As  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  different  species  of  aste~ 
are  native  to  the  United  States,  and  as  fifty-four  of  these  ar:. 
found  in  Northeastern  America,  all  but  a  dozen  being  purple  or 
blue  (i.e.,  with  purple  or  blue  ray-flowers),  and  as  even  botan- 
ists find  that  it  requires  patient  application  to  distinguish  these 
many  species,  only  a  brief  description  of  the  more  conspicuous 
and  common  ones  is  here  attempted. 

The  broad-leaved  aster,  A.  macrophyllus,  is  best  known,  per- 
haps, by  the  great  colonies  of  large,  rounded,  somewhat  heart- 
shaped,  long-stemmed  leaves  with  which  it  carpets  the  woods 
long  before  the  flowers  appear.  Finally  it  sends  up  a  stout,  rigid 
stalk  two  to  three  feet  high,  bearing  smaller  oblong  leaves  and 
clusters  of  lavender  or  violet-colored  flower-heads. 

Along  the  dry  roadsides  in  early  August  we  may  look  for  the 
bright  blue-purple  flowers  of  A.  patens.  This  is  a  low-growing 
species,  with  rough,  narrowly  oblong,  clasping  leaves,  and  widely 
spreading  branches,  whose  slender  branchlets  are  usually  termi- 
nated by  a  solitary  flower-head. 

Probably  no  member  of  the  group  is  more  striking  than  the 
New  England  aster,  A.  Nova  Anglice  (Plate  CXLVL),  whose 
stout  hairy  stem  (sometimes  eight  feet  high),  numerous  lance- 
shaped  leaves,  and  large  violet-purple  or  sometimes  pinkish 
flower-heads,  are  conspicuous  in  the  swamps  of  late  summer. 

A.  puniceus  is  another  tall  swamp  species,  with  long  showy 
pale  lavender  ray-flowers. 

One  of  the  most  commonly  encountered  asters  is  A.  cordifo* 
lius  (Plate  CXLVIL),  which  is  far  from  being  the  only  heart- 
leaved  species,  despite  its  title.  Its  many  small,  pale  blue  or 
almost  white  flower-heads  mass  themselves  abundantly  along  the 
wood-borders  and  shaded  roadsides. 

3ia 


PLATE 


Disk  and  ray-flower. 


NEW   ENGLAND  ASJER.-Aster  Nova  AngUa. 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

The  New  York  aster,  A.  Novi  Belgii  (Plate  CXLVIIL),  is  a 
slender -stemmed,  branching  plant,  usually  from  one  to  three  feet 
high,  with  lance-shaped  leaves  and  violet-flower  heads.  It  is 
found  in  swampy  places  near  the  coast  from  August  to  Octo- 
ber. Gray  calls  it  "  the  commonest  late-flowered  aster  of  the 
Atlantic  border,  and  variable." 

Perhaps  the  loveliest  of  all  the  tribe  is  the  seaside  purple 
aster,  A.  spectabilis,  a  low  plant  with  narrowly  oblong  leaves 
and  large  bright  heads,  the  violet-purple  ray-flowers  of  which  are 
nearly  an  inch  long.  This  grows  in  sandy  soil  near  the  coast 
and  may  be  found  putting  forth  its  royal,  daisy-like  blossoms 
into  November. 

Great  Britain  can  claim  but  one  native  aster,  A.  Tripolium, 
or  sea-starwort,  as  it  is  called.  Many  American  species  are  culti- 
vated in  English  gardens  under  the  general  title  of  Michaelmas 
daisies.  The  starwort  of  Italy  is  A.  amellus.  The  Swiss  species 
is  A.  Alpinum. 

This  beautiful  genus,  like  that  of  the  golden-rod,  is  one  of 
the  peculiar  glories  of  our  country.  Every  autumn  these  two 
kinds  of  flowers  clothe  our  roadsides  and  meadows  with  so  regal 
a  mantle  of  purple  and  gold  that  we  cannot  but  wonder  if  the 
flowers  of  any  other  region  combine  in  such  a  radiant  display. 


IRON-WEED. 

[PI.  CXLIX 

Vernonia  Noveboracensis.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Leafy ;  usually  tall.  Leaves. — Alternate  ;  somewhat  lance-oblong. 
Flower-heads. — An  intense  red-purple;  loosely  clustered  ;  composed  entirely 
of  tubular  flowers. 

Along  the  roadsides  and  low  meadows  near  the  coast  the 
iron-weed  adds  its  deep  purple  hues  to  the  color-pageant  of  late 
August.  By  the  uninitiated  the  plant  is  often  mistaken  for  an 
aster,  but  a  moment's  inspection  will  discover  that  the  minute 
flowers  which  compose  each  flower-head  are  all  tubular  in  shape, 
and  that  the  ray  or  strap-shaped  blossoms  which  an  aster  must 

3H 


BLUE  WOOD  ASTER.— Aster  cordifolius. 


PLATE  CXLVIII 


. 


Aster  Novi  Belgii. 


PLATE    CXLIX 


Flower. 

IRON-WEE.D.— Vernonia  Novet>orac<nsit. 

315 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


have  are  wanting.  These  flower-heads  are  surrounded  by  an 
involucre  composed  of  small  scales  which  are  tipped  with  a  tiny 
point  and  are  usually  of  a  purplish  color  also. 


SPIDERWORT. 

Tradescantia  Virginica.     Spiderwort  Family. 

Stems. — Mucilaginous;  leafy;  mostly  upright.  Leaves. — Linear;  keeled. 
Flowers. — Blue;  clustered;  with  floral  leaves  as  in  the  day-flower.  Calyx. — 
Of  three  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  petals.  Stamens. — Six;  with  bearded 
filaments.  Pistil. — One. 

The  flowers  of  the  spiderwort,  like  those  of  the  day-flower,  to 
which  they  are  nearly  allied,  are  very  perishable,  lasting  only  a 
few  hours.  They  are  found  throughout  the  summer,  somewhat 
south  and  westward.  The  genus  is  named  in  honor  of  Trades- 
cant,  gardener  to  Charles  I.  of  England. 


BLAZING  STAR. 

Liatris  scariosa.     Composite  Family. 

Stem. — Simple ;  stout ;  hoary  ;  two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate, 
narrowly  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Racemed  along  the  upper  part  of 
the  stem ;  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  of  a  beautiful  shade  of  rose- 
purple. 

These  showy  and  beautiful  flowers  lend  still  another  tint  to 
the  many-hued  salt  marshes  and  glowing  inland  meadows  of  the 
falling  year.  Gray  assigns  them  to  dry  localities  from  New 
England  to  Minnesota  and  southward,  while  my  own  experience 
of  them  is  limited  to  the  New  England  coast,  where  their  stout 
leafy  stems  and  bright-hued  blossoms  are  noticeable  among  the 
golden-rods  and  asters  of  September.  The  hasty  observer  some- 
times confuses  the  plant  with  the  iron-weed,  but  the  two  flowers 
are  very  different  in  color  and  in  their  manner  of  growth. 


316 


PLATE  CL 


BLAZING  STAR.— Liatris  scariosa. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


CREEPING  THYME. 

Thymus  Serpyllum.     Mint  Family. 

Stems. — Prostrate.  Leaves. — Small;  ovate;  strongly  -  veined  ;  not 
toothed.  Flowers. — Small ;  purplish  ;  crowded  at  the  ends  of  the  branches. 
Calyx. — Two-lipped.  Corolla. — Slightly  two-lipped.  Stamens. — Two. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

This  classic  little  plant  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe,  which 
is  not  as  yet  extensively  naturalized  with  us.  The  only 

"  bank  where  the  wild  thyme  blows  " 

for  me  is  somewhat  too  exposed  a  spot  to  be  chosen  as  sleeping- 
place  by  any  fairy-queen.     Neither  is  it 

"  Over-canopied  with  luscious  woodbine, 
With  sweet  musk-roses  and  with  eglantine." 

Instead  it  borders  the  beautiful  but  open  highway  leading  from 
Lenox  into  Stockbridge,  filling  the  air  with  its  pungent  fragrance. 


BLUE  CURLS.    BASTARD   PENNYROYAL. 

Trichostema  dichotomum.     Mint  Family. 

Stem. — Rather  low;  branching;  clammy.  Leaves. — Opposite;  narrowly 
oblong  or  lance-shaped  ;  glutinous  ;  with  a  balsamic  odor.  Flowers. — Purple, 
occasionally  pinkish  ;  not  usually  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-cleft ;  two-lipped. 
Corolla. — Five-lobed ;  the  three  lower  lobes  more  or  less  united.  Stamens. — 
Four;  very  long  and  curved  ;  protruding.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed 
style. 

In  the  sandy  fields  of  late  summer  this  little  plant  attracts 
notice  by  its  many  purple  flowers.  Its  corolla  soon  falls  and 
exposes  to  view  the  four  little  nutlets  of  the  ovary  lying  within 
the  enlarged  calyx  like  tiny  eggs  in  their  nest.  Its  aromatic 
odor  is  very  perceptible,  and  the  little  glands  with  which  it  is 
covered  may  be  seen  with  the  aid  of  a  magnifier.  The  generic 
name,  Trichostema,  signifies  hairy  stamens,  and  alludes  to  the 
curved  hair-like  filaments. 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


FIVE-FLOWERED  GENTIAN. 

Gentiana  quinqueflora.     Gentian  Family. 

Stem. — Slender  ;  usually  branching ;  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite ;  ovate;  lance-shaped;  partly  clasping.  Flowers. — Pale  blue  or  pur- 
plish ;  smaller  than  those  of  the  closed  gentian  ;  in  clusters  of  five  or  more 
at  the  summit  of  stems  and  branches.  Calyx. — Four  or  five-cleft ;  small. 
Corolla. — Funnel-form;  four  or  five-lobed  ;  its  lobes  bristle-pointed.  Sta- 
mens.— Four  or  five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  stigmas. 

In  some  localities  the  five-flowered  gentian  is  very  abundant. 
Gray  assigns  the  plant  to  "  moist  hills  "  and  "  along  the  moun- 
tains to  Florida;"  and  I  never  remember  to  have  encountered 
it  save  in  more  or  less  mountainous  regions.  In  September  it 
tinges  with  delicate  color  the  slopes  of  the  Shawangunk  moun- 
tains and  borders  the  woods  and  roadsides  of  the  Berkshire  hills. 


COMMON   DITTANY. 

Cunila  Mariana.     Mint  Family. 

About  one  foot  high.  Stem. — Much  branched,  reddish.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite ;  aromatic ;  dotted ;  smooth  ;  ovate,  rounded  or  heart-shaped  at  base. 
Flowers. — Small,  purple,  lilac  or  white;  clustered.  Calyx, — Five-toothed. 
Corolla. — Small ;  two-lipped ;  the  upper  lip  erect,  usually  notched,  the  lower 
three-cleft.  Stamens. — Two;  erect;  protruding.  Pistil. — One,  with  a 
two-lobed  style. 

In  late  August  or  early  September  the  delicate  flowers  of  the 
dittany  brighten  the  dry,  sterile  banks  which  flank  so  many  of 
our  roadsides.  At  a  season  when  few  plants  are  flowering  save 
the  omnipresent  members  of  the  great  Composite  family  these 
dainty  though  unpretentious  blossoms  are  especially  attractive. 
The  plant  has  a  pleasant  fragrance. 


CLOSED  GENTIAN. 

Gentiana  Andrewsii.     Gentian  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high;  upright;  smooth.  Leaves. — Opposite; 
narrowly  oval  or  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Blue  to  purple  ;  clustered  at  the 
summit  of  the  stem  and  often  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Four  or 

318 


PLATE  CLI 


CLOSED  GENTIAN.— Gentian*  andrewsii. 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

five  cleft.      Corolla. — Closed  at  the  mouth;   large;  oblong.      Stamens. — 
Four  or  five.     Pistil. — One,  with  two  stigmas. 

Few  flowers  adapt  themselves  better  to  the  season  than  the 
closed  gentian.  We  look  for  it  in  September  when  the  early 
waning  days  and  frost-suggestive  nights  prove  so  discouraging  to 
the  greater  part  of  the  floral  world.  Then  in  somewhat  moist, 
shaded  places  along  the  roadside  we  find  this  vigorous,  autumnal- 
looking  plant,  with  stout  stems,  leaves  that  bronze  as  the  days 
advance,  and  deep-tinted  flowers  firmly  closed  as  though  to  pro- 
tect the  delicate  reproductive  organs  within  from  the  sharp 
touches  of  the  late  year. 

To  me  the  closed  gentian  usually  shows  a  deep  blue  or  even 
purple  countenance,  although,  like  the  fringed  gentian  and  so 
many  other  flowers,  its  color  is  lighter  in  the  shade  than  in  the 
sunlight.  But  Thoreau  claims  for  it  a  "  transcendent  blue,"  "  a 
splendid  blue,  light  in  the  shade,  turning  to  purple  with  age. ' ' 
''Bluer  than  the  bluest  sky,  they  lurk  in  the  moist  and  shady 
recesses  of  the  banks,"  he  writes.  Mr.  Burroughs  also  finds  it 
"  intensely  blue." 


FRINGED  GENTIAN. 

Gentiana  crinita.     Gentian  Family. 

» 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  lance-shaped  or  nar- 
rowly oval.  Flowers. — Blue  ;  large.  Calyx. — Four-cleft ;  the  lobes  un- 
equal. Corolla. — Funnel-form,  with  four  fringed,  spreading  lobes.  Sta- 
mens.— Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  stigmas. 

In  late  September,  when  we  have  almost  ceased  to  hope  for 
new  flowers,  we  are  in  luck  if  we  chance  upon  this 

" — blossom  bright  with  autumn  dew," 
whose 

"  — sweet  and  quiet  eye 

Looks  through  its  fringes  to  the  sky, 
Blue — blue — as  if  that  sky  let  fall, 
A  flower  from  its  cerulean  wall ;  " 
319 


^LU£  AND   PURPLE 

for  the  fringed  gentian  is  fickle  in  its  habits,  and  the  fact  that  we 
have  located  it  one  season  does  not  mean  that  we  shall  find  it  in 
the  same  place  the  following  year  ;  being  an  annual,  with  seeds 
that  are  easily  washed  away,  it  is  apt  to  change  its  haunts  from 
time  to  time.  So  our  search  for  this  plant  is  always  attended 
with  the  charm  of  uncertainty.  Once  having  ferreted  out  its 
new  abiding-place,  however,  we  can  satiate  ourselves  with  its 
loveliness,  which  it  usually  lavishes  unstintingly  upon  the  moist 
meadows  which  it  has  elected  to  honor. 

Thoreau  describes  its  color  as  "  such  a  dark  blue  !  surpassing 
that  of  the  male  bluebird's  back!  "  My  experience  has  been 
that  the  flowers  which  grow  in  the  shade  are  of  a  clear  pure 
azure,  "  Heaven's  own  blue,"  as  Bryant  claims;  while  those 
which  are  found  in  open,  sunny  meadows  may  be  justly  said  to 
vie  with  the  back  of  the  male  bluebird.  If  the  season  has  been  a 
mild  one  we  shall  perhaps  find  a  few  blossoms  lingering  into 
November,  but  the  plant  is  probably  blighted  by  a  severe  frost, 
although  Miss  Emily  Dickinson's  little  poem  voices  another 
opinion : 

"  But  just  before  the  snows 

There  came  a  purple  creature 
That  ravished  all  the  hill : 

And  Summer  hid  her  forehead, 

And  mockery  was  still. 
The  frosts  were  her  condition  : 

The  Tyrian  would  not  come 
Until  the  North  evoked  it, 

•Creator!  shall  I  bloom !  '" 


320 


PLATE  CLII 


. 


FRINGED  GENTIAN.— Gentiana  crinita. 


VI! 

MISCELLANEOUS 

CABBAGE.  SWAMP  CABBAGE. 

Symplocarpus  fcetidus.     Arum  Family. 

-. — Large;  becoming  one  or  two  feet  long;  heart-shaped,  appear- 
ing later  than  the  purple-mottled  spathe  and  hidden  flowers,  flowers. — 
Small  and  inconspicuous  ;  packed  on  the  fleshy  spike  which  is  hidden  within 
the  spathe. 

If  we  are  bold  enough  to  venture  into  certain  swampy  places 
in  the  leafless  woods  and  brown  cheerless  meadows  of  March,  we 
notice  that  the  sharply  pointed  spathes  of  the  skunk  cabbage  have 
already  pierced  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Until  I  chanced  upon  a 
passage  in  Thoreau's  Journal  under  date  of  October  3ist,  I  had 
supposed  that  these  "  hermits  of  the  bog  M  were  only  encouraged 
to  make  their  appearance  by  the  advent  of  those  first  balmy, 
spring-suggestive  days  which  occasionally  occur  as  early  as 
February.  But  it  seems  that  many  of  these  young  buds  had 
pushed  their  way  upward  before  the  winter  set  in,  for  Thoreau 
counsels  those  who  are  afflicted  with  the  melancholy  of  autumn 
to  go  to  the  swamps,  "  and  see  the  brave  spears  of  skunk-cabbage 
buds  already  advanced  toward  a  new  year."  "  Mortal  and  hu- 
man creatures  must  take  a  little  respite  in  this  fall  of  the  year," 
he  writes.  "  Their  spirits  do  flag  a  little.  There  is  a  little 
questioning  of  destiny,  and  thinking  to  go  like  cowards  to  where 
the  weary  shall  be  at  rest.  But  not  so  with  the  skunk  cabbage. 
Its  withered  leaves  fall  and  are  transfixed  by  a  rising  bud. 
Winter  and  death  are  ignored.  The  circle  of  life  is  complete. 

321 


MISCELLANEOUS 

Are  these  false  prophets  ?  Is  it  a  lie  or  a  vain  boast  underneath 
the  skunk-cabbage  bud  pushing  it  upward  and  lifting  the  dead 
leaves  with  it?  " 

The  purplish  shell-like  leaf,  which  curls  about  the  tiny  flowers 
which  are  thus  hidden  from  view,  is  a  rather  grewsome-looking 
object,  suggestive  of  a  great  snail  when  it  lifts  itself  fairly  above 
its  muddy  bed.  When  one  sees  it  grouped  with  brother-cab- 
bages it  is  easy  to  understand  why  a  nearly  allied  species,  which 
abounds  along  the  Italian  Riviera,  should  be  entitled  "  Cap- 
pucini"  by  the  neighboring  peasants,  for  the  bowed,  hooded 
appearance  of  these  plants  might  easily  suggest  the  cowled 
Capuchins. 

It  seems  unfortunate  that  our  earliest  spring  flower  (for  such 
it  undoubtedly  is)  should  possess  so  unpleasant  an  odor  as  to  win 
for  itself  the  unpoetic  title  of  skunk  cabbage.  There  is  also 
some  incongruity  in  the  heading  of  the  great  floral  procession  of 
the  year  by  the  minute  hidden  blossoms  of  this  plant.  That  they 
are  enabled  to  survive  the  raw  March  winds  which  are  rampant 
when  they  first  appear  is  probably  due  to  the  protection  afforded 
them  by  the  leathery  leaf  or  spathe.  When  the  true  leaves  un- 
fold they  mark  the  wet  woods  and  meadows  with  bright  patches 
of  rich  foliage,  which  with  that  of  the  hellebore,  flash  constantly 
into  sight  as  we  travel  through  the  country  in  April. 

It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  the  skunk  cabbage  is  nearly 
akin  to  the  spotless  calla  lily,  the  purple-mottled  spathe  of  the 
one  answering  to  the  snowy  petal-like  leaf  of  the  other.  Meehan 
tells  us  that  the  name  bear-weed  was  given  to  the  plant  by  the 
early  Swedish  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia.  It 
seems  that  the  bears  greatly  relished  this  early  green,  which 
Meehan  remarks  "  must  have  been  a  hot  morsel,  as  the  juice 
is  acrid,  and  is  said  to  possess  some  narcotic  power,  while 
that  of  the  root,  when  chewed,  causes  the  eyesight  to  grow 
dim." 


J22 


PLATE  CLIli 


SKUNK  Zt&&kG£..—Symplocarpus  foetid**. 


.1*3 


MISCELLANEOUS 


WILD  GINGER. 

Asarum  Canadenst.     Birthwort  Family. 

Leaves. — One  or  two  on  each  plant ;  kidney  or  heart-shaped  ;  fuzzy ; 
long- stalked.  Flowers. — Dull  purplish-brown ;  solitary  ;  close  to  the  ground 
on  a  short  flower-stalk  from  the  fork  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Three-cleft ; 
bell-shaped.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Twelve.  Pistil. — One,  with  a 
thick  style  and  six  thick,  radiating  stigmas. 

Certain  flowers  might  be  grouped  under  the  head  of  "  vege- 
table cranks."  Here  would  be  classed  the  evening  primrose, 
which  only  opens  at  night,  the  closed  gentian,  which  never 
opens  at  all,  and  the  wild  ginger,  whose  odd,  unlovely  flower 
seeks  protection  beneath  its  long-stemmed  fuzzy  leaves,  and  hides 
its  head  upon  the  ground  as  if  unwilling  to  challenge  comparison 
with  its  more  brilliant  brethren.  Unless  already  familiar  with 
this  plant  there  is  nothing  to  tell  one  when  it  has  reached  its 
flowering  season ;  and  many  a  wanderer  through  the  rocky 
woods  in  early  May  quite  overlooks  its  shy,  shamefaced  blos- 
som. 

The  ginger-like  flavor  of  the  rootstock  is  responsible  for  its 
common  name.  It  grows  wild  in  many  parts  of  Europe  and  is 
cultivated  in  England,  where  at  one  time  it  was  considered  a 
remedy  for  headache  and  deafness. 


JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.    INDIAN  TURNIP. 

Ariscema  trip hy Hunt.     Arum  Family. 

Scape. — Terminated  by  a  hood-like  leaf  or  spathe.  Leaves. — Generally 
two;  each  divided  into  three  leaflets.  Flowers. — Small  and  inconspicuous  ; 
packed  about  the  lower  part  of  the  fleshy  spike  or  spadix  which  is  shielded 
by  the  spathe.  Fruit. — A  bright  scarlet  berry  which  is  packed  upon  the 
spadix  with  many  others. 

These  quaint  little  preachers,  ensconced  in  their  delicate  pul- 
pits, are  well  known  to  all  who  love  the  woods  in  early  spring 
Sometimes  these  "  pulpits  "  are  of  a  light  green,  veined  with  a 
deeper  tint ;  again  they  are  stained  with  purple.     This  diflfer- 

324 


PLATE   CUV 


WILD  GMGE*.—Asar*m  Canadenst. 


MISCELLANEOUS 

ence  in  color  has  been  thought  to  indicate  the  sex  of  the  flowers 
within — the  males  are  said  to  be  shielded  by  the  green,  the 
females  by  the  purple,  hoods.  In  the  nearly  allied  cuckoo-pints 
of  England,  matters  appear  to  be  reversed  :  these  plants  are 
called  "  Lords  and  Ladies"  by  the  children,  the  purple-tinged 
ones  being  the  "  Lords,"  the  light  green  ones  the  "Ladies." 
The  generic  name,  Ariscema,  signifies  bloody  arum,  and  refers  to 
the  dark  purple  stains  of  the  spathe.  An  old  legend  claims  that 
these  were  received  at  the  Crucifixion : 

*  Beneath  the  cross  it  grew ; 
And  in  the  vase-like  hollow  of  the  leaf, 
Catching  from  that  dread  shower  of  agony 
A  few  mysterious  drops,  transmitted  thus 
Unto  the  groves  and  hills  their  healing  stains, 
A  heritage,  for  storm  or  vernal  shower 
Never  to  blow  away." 

The  Indians  were  in  the  habit  of  boiling  the  bright  scarlet 
berries  which  are  so  conspicuous  in  our  autumn  woods  and  de- 
vouring them  with  great  relish  ;  they  also  discovered  that  the 
bulb-like  base,  or  corm,  as  it  is  called,  lost  its  acridity  on  cook- 
ing, and  made  nutritious  food,  winning  for  the  plant  its  name 
of  Indian  turnip.  One  of  its  more  local  titles  is  memory-root, 
which  it  owes  to  a  favorite  school-boy  trick  of  tempting  others 
to  bite  into  the  blistering  corm  with  results  likely  to  create  a 
memorable  impression. 

The  English  cuckoo -pint  yielded  a  starch  which  was  greatly 
valued  in  the  time  of  Elizabethan  ruffs,  although  it  proved  too 
blistering  to  the  hands  of  the  washerwomen  to  remain  long  in 
use.  Owing  to  the  profusion  with  which  the  plant  grows  in 
Ireland  efforts  have  been  made  to  utilize  it  as  food  in  periods  of 
scarcity.  By  grating  the  corm  into  water,  and  then  pouring  off 
the  liquid  and  drying  the  sediment,  it  is  said  that  a  tasteless,  but 
nutritious,  powder  can  be  procured. 


It* 


PLATE   CLV 


Fruit 


Corm. 

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.— A risama  trifhyllum. 
327 


MISCELLANEOUS 


ALUM-ROOT. 

Htuchera  Americana.      Saxifrage  Family. 

Stems. — Two  to  three  feet  high  ;  glandular;  more  or  less  hairy.  Leaves. 
— Heart-shaped  ;  with  short,  rounded  lobes ;  wavy-toothed,  mostly  from  the 
root.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  purplish ;  in  long  narrow  clusters.  Calyx. — 
Bell-shaped;  broad;  five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  small  petals.  Stamens. — 
Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  slender  styles. 

In  May  the  slender  clusters  of  the  alum-root  are  found  in  the 
rocky  woods. 

LILY-LEAVED  LIPARIS. 

Liparis  liliifolia.      Orchis  Family. 

Scape. — Low;  from  a  solid  bulb.  Leaves. — Two;  ovate;  smooth.  Flow- 
ers. — Purplish  or  greenish ;  with  thread-like  reflexed  petals  and  a  large  brown- 
purplish  lip  an  inch  and  a  half  long ;  growing  in  a  raceme. 

In  the  moist,  rich  woods  of  June  we  may  look  for  these  flow- 
ers. The  generic  name  is  derived  from  two  Greek  words  which 
signify  fat  or  shining,  in  reference  to  "the  smooth  or  unctuous 
leaves."  (Gray.) 


BEECHDROPS.     CANCER-ROOT. 

Epiphegus  Virginiana.      Broom-rape  Family. 

Stems. — Slender;  fleshy;  branching;  with  small  scales;  purplish,  yel- 
lowish, or  brownish.  Leaves. — None.  Flowers. — Purplish,  yellowish,  or 
brownish ;  spiked  or  racemed ;  small ;  of  two  kinds,  the  upper  sterile,  the 
lower  fertile. 

These  curious-looking  plants  abound  in  the  shade  of  beech- 
trees,  drawing  nourishment  from  their  roots.  The  upper  open 
flowers  are  sterile  ;  the  lower  ones,  which  never  expand,  accom- 
plish the  continuance  of  their  kind. 


328 


PLATE  CLVI 


LILY  LEAVED  LI  PARIS.  —Liparis  Wiifolia. 


PLATE   CLVIJ 


BEECHDROPS.— Epiphegus  Virginiana, 
329 


MISCELLANEOUS 

PINE  SAP.     FALSE  BEECHDROPS. 

Monotropa  Hypopitys.     Heath  Family. 

A  low  fleshy  herb  without  green  foliage ;  tawny,  reddish,  or  whitish. 
Flowers. — Resembling  in  structure  those  of  the  Indian  pipe,  but  clustered  in 
a  raceme. 

The  pine  sap  is  a  parasitic  plant  which  is  closely  allied  to 
the  Indian  pipe.  Its  clustered  flowers  are  usually  fragrant.  The 
plant  is  commonly  of  a  somewhat  tawny  hue,  but  occasionally  one 
finds  a  bright-red  specimen.  It  flourishes  in  oak  or  pine  woods 
from  June  till  August. 


WILD  BEAN.     GROUND-NUT. 

Apios  tuberosa.      Pulse  Family. 

Stem.—  Twining  and  climbing  over  bushes.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three 
to  seven  narrowly  oval  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous;  purplish  or 
chocolate-color,  somewhat  violet- scented ;  closely  clustered  in  racemes. 

In  late  summer  the  dark,  rich  flowers  of  the  wild  bean  are 
found  in  short,  thick  clusters  among  the  luxuriant  undergrowth 
and  thickets  of  low  ground.  The  plant  is  a  climber,  bearing 
edible  pear-shaped  tubers  on  underground  shoots,  which  give  it 
its  generic  name  signifying  a  pear. 


LION'S  FOOT.    GALL-OF-THE-EARTH. 

Prenanthes  serpentaria.     Composite  Family. 

Height. — About  two  feet.  Leaves. — Roughish;  the  lower  lobed,  the 
upper  oblong  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Nodding;  composed  of  green- 
ish or  cream-colored  strap-shaped  flowers  surrounded  by  a  greenish  or  pur- 
pie  involucre. 

These  plants  are  peculiarly  decorative  in  late  summer  on  ac- 
count of  their  graceful,  drooping,  bell-shaped  flower-heads.  The 
flowers  themselves  almost  escape  notice,  and  their  color  is  rather 

330 


rLATE   CLVII« 


WILD    BEAN.— Apios  tuberosa. 
33* 


MISCELLANEOUS 

difficult  to  determine,  the  purplish  or  greenish  involucre  being 
the  plant's  conspicuous  feature. 

The  generic  name  is  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies  drooping 
blossom. 

RATTLESNAKE-ROOT. 

Prenanthes  alba. 

Height. — Two  to  four  feet.  Leaves. — The  lower  cleft  or  toothed;  the 
uppermost  oblong  and  undivided.  Flower-heads. — Nodding;  composed  of 
white  or  greenish  strap-shaped  flowers  surrounded  by  a  purplish  involucre. 

This  plant  is  almost  similar  to  the  above. 


CORAL-ROOT. 

Corallorhiza  multiflora.      Orchis  Family. 

Rootstock. — Much  branched  ;  coral-like  ;  toothed.  Stem. — Nine  to  eigh- 
teen inches  high,  without  green  foliage.  Flowers. — Rather  small;  dull 
brownish-purple  or  yellowish,  sometimes  mottled  with  red ;  growing  in  a 
raceme. 

In  the  dry  summer  woods  one  frequently  encounters  the  dull 
racemes  of  this  rather  inconspicuous  little  plant.  It  is  often 
found  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Indian  pipe  and 
pine  sap.  Being,  like  them,  without  green  foliage,  it  might  be 
taken  for  an  allied  species  by  the  casual  observer.  This  is  one 
of  those  orchids  which  are  popularly  considered  unworthy  to 
bear  the  name,  giving  rise  to  so  much  incredulity  or  disappoint- 
ment in  the  unbotanical. 


333 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


ACHILLEA  Millefolium,  90 
Actaea  alba,  36 
Actaea  rubra,  38 
Adlumia  cirrhosa,  228 
Agrimonia  Eupatoria,  173 
Agrimonia  parviflora,  174 
Aletris  farinosa,  88 
Alisma  Plantago,  109 
Althaea  officinalis,  242 
Amelanchier  oblongifolia,  3 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  116 
Amphicarpaea  monoica,  308 
Anagallis  arvensis,  266 
Anaphilis  margaritacea,  no 
Andromeda  Mariana,  54 
Andromeda  polifolia,  54 
Anemone  cylindrica,  68 
Anemone  nemorosa,  4 
Anemone  Pennsylvanica,  68 
Anemone  Virginiana,  68 
Anemonella  thalictroides,'6 
Angelica  atropurpurea,  92 
Antennaria  plantaginifolia,  8 
Anthemis  Cotula,  63 
Aphyllon  uniflorum,  281 
Apios  tuberosa,  330 
Apocynum  androsaemifolium,  220 
Aquilegia  Canadensis,  254 
Arabis  hirsuta,  12 
Aralia  hispida,  22 
Aralia  nudicaulis,  20 
Aralia  quinquefolia,  22 
Aralia  racemosa,  22 
Aralia  trifolia,  20 
Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi,  32 
Arenaria  Groenlandica,  66 


Arenaria  lateriflora,  67 
Arethusa  bulbosa,  216,  290 
Arisaema  triphyllum,  324 
Asarum  Canadense,  324 
Asclepias  Cornuti,  229 
Asclepias  incarnata,  229 
Asclepias  purpurascens,  229 
Asclepias  quadrifolia,  229 
Asclepias  tuberosa,  262 
Asclepias  verticillata,  120 
Ascyrum  Crux-Andreae,  168 
Aster  acuminatus,  99 
Aster  Alpinum,  314 
Aster  amellus,  314 
Aster  cordifolius,  312 
Aster  corymbosus,  99 
Aster  ericoides,  99 
Aster  macrophyllus,  312 
Aster  multiflorus,  100 
Aster  Novae-Angliae,  312 
Aster  Novi  Belgii,  314 
Aster  patens,  312 
Aster  puniceus,  312 
Aster  spectabilis,  314 
Aster  Tripolium,  314 
Aster  umbellatus,  99 

BACCHARIS  halimifolia,  109 
Baptisia  tinctoria,  160 
Barbarea  vulgaris,  142 
Berberis  vulgaris,  159 
Bidens  cernua,  186 
Bidens  chrysanthemoides,  186 
Bidens  frondosa,  184 
Brasenia  peltata,  292 
Brassica  nigra,  142 

133 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Brunella  vulgaris,  288 
Buda  marina,  230 
Buda  rubra,  230 

CAKILE  Americana,  304 
Calamintha  Clinopodium,  222 
Calla  palustris,  39 
Calopogon  pulchellus,  218 
Caltna  palustris,  122 
Calypso  borealis,  206 
Campanula  rapunculoides,  300 
Campanula  rotundifolia,  299 
Capsella  Bursa-pastoris,  12 
Cardamine  hirsuta,  12 
Cardamine  rhomboidea,  10 
Cassandra  calyculata,  55 
Cassia  Chamaecrista,  171 
Cassia  Marilandica,  171 
Cassiope  hypnoides,  55 
Castilleia  coccinea,  258 
Caulophyllum  thalictroides,  120 
Ceanothus  Americanus,  64 
Celastrus  scandens,  121 
Cephalanthus  occidentalis,  76 
Cerastium  arvense,  67 
Chamaelirium  Carolinianum,  106 
Chelidonium  majus,  135 
Chelone  glabra,  96 
Chimaphila  maculata,  58 
Chimaphila  umbellata,  58 
Chiogenes  serpyllifolia,  23 
Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum,  60 
Chrysopsis  falcata,  182 
Chrysopsis  Mariana,  180 
Cichorium  Intybus,  308 
Cicuta  maculata,  91 
Cimicifuga  racemosa,  70 
Oircaea  Alpina,  66 
Circaea  Lutetiana,  66 
Claytonia  Virginica,  198 
Clematis  Virginiana,  94 
Clethra  alnifolia,  86 
Clintonia  borealis,  136 
Clintonia  umbellata,  138 
Cnicus  horridulus,  187 
Collinsia  verna,  279 
Collinsonia  Canadensis,  177 
Comandra  umbellata,  64 


Commelina  Virginica,  306 
Convolvulus  Americanus,  223 
Convolvulus  arvensis,  224 
Coptis  trifolia,  8 
Corallorhiza  multiflora,  332 
Cornus  alternifolia,  30 
Cornus  Canadensis,  38 
Cornus  circinata,  30 
Cornus  paniculata,  32 
Cornus  stolonifera,  32 
Corydalis  aurea,  130 
Corydalis  glauca,  205 
Cratsegus  coccinea,  32 
Crataegus  Crus-galli,  34 
Crotalaria  sagittalis,  164 
Cunila  Mariana,  318 
Cuphea  viscosissima,  224 
Cuscuta  Epilinum,  98 
Cuscuta  Gronovii,  98 
Cynoglossum  officinale,  264 
Cypripedium  acaule,  204 
Cypripedium  parviflorum,  140 
Cypripedium  pubescens,  138 
Cypripedium  spectabile,  214 

DALIBARDA  repens,  76 
Datura  Stramonium,  98 
Datura  Tatula,  99 
Daucus  Carota,  90 
Delphinium  exaltatum,  276 
Delphinium  tricorne,  276 
Dentaria  diphylla,  9 
Dentaria  laciniata,  9 
Desmodium  acuminatum,  246 
Desmodium  Canadense,  246 
Desmodium  Dillenii,  246 
Desmodium  nudiflorum,  246 
Dianthus  Armeria,  223 
Dianthus  caryophyllus,  223 
Dicentra  Canadensis,  16 
Dicentra  Cucullaria,  16 
Diervilla  trifida,  150 
Dirca  palustris,  132 
Discopleura  capillacea,  93 
Draba  verna,  10 
Drosera  Americana,  78 
Drosera  filiformis,  78 
Drosera  rotundifolia,  77 


334 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


ECHINOCYSTIS  lobata,  88 
Echium  vulgare,  298 
Elodes  campanulata,  244 
Epigaea  repens,  195 
Epilobium  angustifolium,  230 
Epilobium  coloratum,  232 
Epilobium  hirsutum,  232 
Epiphegus  Virginiana,  328 
Erigenia  bulbosa,  14 
Erigeron  annuus,  60 
Erigeron  bellidifolius,  276 
Erigeron  Philadelphicus,  223 
Erigeron  strigosus,  60 
Erythronium  albidum,  126 
Erythronium  Americanum,  126 
Eupatorium  ageratoides,  104 
Eupatorium  perfoliatum,  102 
Eupatorium  purpureum,  252 
Euphorbia  corollata,  74 
Euphrasla  officinalis,  281 

GALEOPSIS  Tetrahit,  224 
Galium  Aparine,  68 
Galium  asprellum,  70 
Galium  trifidum,  70 
Gaultheria  procumbens,  62 
Gaylussacia  frondosa,  52 
Gaylussacia  resinosa,  51 
Genista  tinctoria,  163 
Gentiana  Andrewsii,  318 
Gentiana  crinita,  319 
Gentiana  quinqueflora,  318 
Geranium  maculatum,  278 
Geranium  pratense,  278 
Geranium  Robertianum,  226 
Gerardia  flava,  190 
Gerardia  maritima,  250 
Gerardia  purpurea,  248 
Gerardia  quercifolia,  190 
Gerardia  tenuifolia,  250 
Geum  album,  83 
Geum  rivale,  310 
Geum  strictum,  150 
Gnaphilium  polycephalum,  na 
Goody  era  pubescens,  83 

HABBNARIA  blephariglottis,  84 
liabenaria  ciliaris,  177 


Habenaria  dilatata,  84 
Habenaria  fimbriata,  288 
Habenaria  lacera,  118 
Habenaria  orbiculata,  86 
Habenaria  psycodes,  288 
Habenaria  virescens,  118 
Hamamelis  Virginiana,  192 
Hedeoma  pulegioides,  303 
Helenium  autumnale,  184 
Helianthemum  Canadense,  152 
Helianthus  annuus,  182 
Helianthus  divaricatus,  182 
Helianthus  giganteus,  182 
Hepatica  triloba,  270 
Heracleum  lanatum,  92 
Heuchera  Americana,  328 
Hibiscus  Moscheutos,  242 
Hieracium  aurantiacum,  266 
Hieracium  paniculatum,  145 
Hieracium  scabrum,  145 
Hieracium  venosum,  144 
Houstonia  caerulea,  274 
Hudsonia  tomentosa,  152 
Hydrophyllum  Virginicum,  6$ 
Hypericum  Canadense,  166 
Hypericum  ellipticum,  166 
Hypericum  maculatum,  166 
Hypericum  mutilum,  166 
Hypericum  nudicaule,  168 
Hypericum  perforatum,  164 
Hypoxis  erecta,  159 

ILEX  opaca,  36 
Ilex  verticillata,  36 
Impatiens  fulva,  176 
Impatiens  pallida,  176 
Inula  Helenium,  180 
Iris  versicolor,  282 

JEFFERSONIA  diphylla,  19 

KALMIA  angustifolia,  212 
Kalmia  glauca,  214 
Kalmia  latifolia,  43 
Krigia  amplexicaulis,  135 
Krigia  Virginica,  135 

LACTUCA  Canadensis,  186 
Lathyrus  maritimus,  293 


335 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Lathy rus  palustris,  294 
Ledum  latifolium,  55 
Leontodon  autumnalis,  184 
Leonurus  cardiaca,  302 
Lespedeza  capitata,  240 
Lespedeza  polystachya,  240 
Lespedeza  procumbens,  240 
Lespedeza  reticulata,  240 
Leucothoe  racemosa,  55 
Liatris  scariosa,  316 
Lilium  Canadense,  161 
Lilium  Philadelphicum,  260 
Lilium  superbum,  260 
Linaria  Canadensis,  310 
Linaria  vulgaris,  163 
Lindera 'Benzoin,  124 
Linnaea  borealis,  198 
Liparis  liliifolia,  328 
Lobelia  cardinalis,  268 
Lobelia  Dortmanna,  303 
Lobelia  inflata,  302 
Lobelia  puberula,  303 
Lobelia  spicata,  303 
Lobelia  syphilitica,  311 
Lonicera  ciliata,  135 
Lonicera  grata,  269 
Lonicera  sempervirens,  268 
Lupinus  perennis,  286 
Lychnis  Githago,  293 
Lycopus  sinuatus,  93 
Lycopus  Virginicus,  94 
Lysimachia  quadrifolia,  154 
Lysimachia  stricta,  154 
Lythrum  Salicaria,  234 

MAGNOLIA  glauca,  51 
Maianthemum  Canadense,  6 
Malva  Moschata,  244 
Malva  rotundifolia,  242 
Malva  sylvestris,  306 
Medeola  Virginiana,  140 
Medicago  lupulina,  160 
Melampyrum  Americanum,  156 
Melanthium  Virginicum,  80 
Melilotus  alba,  64 
Melilotus  officinalis,  140 
Menispermum  Canadense,  40 
Mentha  Canadensis,  296 


Mentha  Piperita,  296 
Mentha  viridis,  296 
Menyanthes  trifoliata,  39 
Mertensia  Virginica,  279 
Mertensia  Maritima,  280 
Mikania  scandens,  253 
Mimulus  ringens,  292 
Mitchella  repens,  72 
Mitella  diphylla,  18 
Monarda  didyma,  264 
Monarda  fistulosa,  304 
Moneses  grandiflora,  56 
Monotropa  Hypopitys,  330 
Monotropa  uniflora,  62 
Myosotis  laxa,  286 

NASTURTIUM  officinale,  10 
Nasturtium  palustre,  144 
Nemopanthes  fascicularis,  36 
Nepeta  Glechoma,  274 
Nuphar  advena,  158 
Nymphaea  odorata,  108 

OAKKSIA  sessilifolia,  132 
CEnothera  biennis,  178 
CEnothera  fruticosa,  161 
CEnothera  pumila,  161 
Opuntia  Rafinesquii,  158 
Opuntia  vulgaris,  159 
Orchis  spectabilis,  200 
Orontium  aquaticum,  134 
Osmorrhiza  longistylis,  50 
Oxalis  Acetosella,  48 
Oxalis  stricta,  174 
Oxalis  violacea,  281 

PARNASSIA  Caroliniana,  no 
Pastinaca  sativa,  133 
Pedicularis  Canadensis,  128 
Pentstemon  digitalis,  290 
Pentstemon  pubescens,  290 
Phlox  divaricata,  278 
Phlox  maculata,  279 
Phlox  subulata,  204 
Phryma  Leptostachya,  238 
Physalis  Virginiana,  96 
Physostegia  Virginiana,  250 
Phytolacca  decandra,  78 
Pluchea  camphorata,  250 


336 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Podophyllum  peltatum,  14 
Pogonia  ophioglossoides,  216 
Polygala  cruciata,  228 
Polygala  paucifolia,  210 
Polygala  polygama,  212 
Polygala  sanguinea,  226 
Polygonatum  biflorum,  128 
Polygonatum  giganteum,  130 
Polygonella  articulata,  252 
Polygonum  amphibium,  234 
Polygonum  arifolium,  104 
Polygonum  hydropiperoides,  too 
Polygonum  Pennsylvanicum,  234 
Polygonum  sagittatum,  104 
Polygonum  scandens,  102 
Pontedaria  cordata,  299 
Potentilla  anserina,  146 
Potentilla  argentea,  150 
Potentilla  Canadensis,  148 
Potentilla  fruticosa,  148 
Potentilla  Norvegica,  146 
Potentilla  tridentata,  83 
Poterium  Canadense,  74 
Prenanthes  alba,  332 
Prenanthes  serpentaria,  330 
Prunus  maritima,  34 
Prunus  Virginiana,  19 
Pyrola  elliptica,  56 
Pyrola  minor,  58 
Pyrola  rotundifolia,  56 
Pyrola  secunda,  58 
Pyrus  arbutifolia,  8  t 

Pyxidanthera  barbulata,  9 

RANUNCULUS  ambigens,  156 
Ranunculus  fascicularis,  132 
Ranunculus  septentrionalis,  130 
Raphanus  Raphanistrum,  144 
Rhexia  Virginica,  236 
Rhinanthus,  Crista-galli,  164 
Rhododendron  maximum,  46 
Rhododendron  nudiflorum,  208 
Rhododendron  Rhodora,  202 
Rhododendron  viscosum,  50 
Rhus  Toxicodendron,  116 
Rhus  typhina,  114 
Rhus  venenata,  114 
Rubus  Canadensis,  43 


Rubus  Chamaemorus,  42 
Rubus  hispidus,  42 
Rubus  odoratus,  222 
Rubus  villosus,  42 
Rudbeckia  hirta,  172 
Rudbeckia  laciniata,  172 

SABBATIA  angularis,  239 
Sabbatia  chloroides,  239 
Sabbatia  stellaris,  238 
Sagittaria  variabilis,  109 
Sambucus  Canadensis,  73 
Sambucus  racemosa,  38 
Samolus  Valerandi,  76 
Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  2 
Sanicula  Marylandica,  92 
Saponaria  officinalis,  248 
Sarracenia  purpurea,  258 
Saururus  cernuus,  40 
Saxifraga  Pennsylvania,  121 
Saxifraga  Virginiensis,  16 
Scutellaria  galericulata,  285 
Scutellaria  integrifolia,  284 
Scutellaria  lateriflora,  284 
Senecio  aureus,  138 
Senecio  vulgaris,  138 
Silene  antirrhina,  204 
Silene  Cucubalus,  105 
Silene  Pennsylvanica,  202 
Silene  stellata,  105 
Sisyrinchium  angustifolium,  280 
Sium  cicutaefolium,  93 
Smilacina  racemosa,  24 
Smilax  herbacea,  113 
Smilax  rotundifolia,  114 
Solanum  Dulcamara,  300 
Solidago  bicolor,  188 
Solidago  caesia,  188 
Solidago  Canadensis,  187 
Solidago  juncea,  187 
Solidago  lanceolata,  188 
Solidago  latifolia,  188 
Solidago  nemoralis,  187 
Solidago  odorata,  188 
Solidago  rugosa,  187 
Solidago  sempervirens,  188 
Solidago  virga-aurea,  188 
Specularia  perfoliata,  298 


33 


INDEX  TO  LA  TIN  NAMES 


Spiraea  salicifolia,  82 
Spiraea  tomentosa,  232 
Spiranthes  cernua,  106 
Spiranthes  gracilis,  106 
Statice  Caroliniana,  304 
Steironema  ciliatum,  158 
Stellaria  longifolia,  67 
Stellaria  media,  67 
Streptopus  amplexifolius,  201 
Streptopus  roseus,  201 
Strophostyles  angulosa,  294 
Stylophorum  diphyllum,  127 
Symplocarpus  foeditus,  312 

TANACETUM  vulgare,  192 
Taraxacum  officinale,  145 
Thalictrum  dioicum,  120 
Thalictrum  polyganum,  105 
Thaspium  aureum,  133 
Thymus  serpyllum,  317 
Tiarella  cordifolia,  18 
Tradescantia  Virginica,  316 
Trichostema  dichotomum,  317 
Trientalis  Americana,  6 
Trifoliurn  agrarium,  160 
Trillium  cernuum,  19 
Trillium  erectum,  256 
Trillium  erythrocarpum,  19 
Trillium  grandiflorum,  18 
Trillium  sessile,  256 
Tussilagb  Farfara,  127 

UTRICULARIA  cornuta,  162 
Utricularia  vulgaris,  162 
Uvularia  perfoliata,  132 

VACCINIUM,  52 
Vaccinium  corymbosura,  52 


Vaccinium  macrocarpon,  21^ 
Vaccinium  oxycoccus,  215 
Vaccinium  stamineum,  52 
Vaccinium  uliginosum,  54 
Vaccinium  Vitis-Idoea,  215 
Veratrum  viride,  113 
Verbascum  Blattaria,  170 
Verbascum  Thapsus,  168 
Verbena  hastata,  291 
Verbena  urticaefolia,  94 
Vernonia  Noveboracensis,  314 
Veronica  Americana,  285 
Veronica  officinalis,  285 
Veronica  serpyllifolia,  286 
Veronica  Virginica,  72 
Viburnum  acerifolium,  26 
Viburnum  cassinoides,  28 
Viburnum  dentatum,  28 
Viburnum  lantanoides,  26 
Viburnum  prunifolium,  24 
Vicia  Cracca,  294 
Vicia  sativa,  294 
Viola  bicolor,  273 
Viola  blanda,  23 
Viola  Canadensis,  23 
Viola  canina,  var.  Muhlenbergii,  275 
Viola  lanceolata,  23 
Viola  palmata,  var.  cucullata,  272 
Viola  pedata,  273 
Viola  pedata,  var.  bicolor,  273 
Viola  pubescens,  133 
Viola  rotundifolia,  134 

XYRIS  flexuosa,  162 

ZIZIA  aurea,  133 
Zygadenus  elegans,  82 


S3* 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


ADDER'S  Mouth,  216 
Adder's  Tongue,  White,  126 
Adder's  Tongue,  Yellow,  126 
Agrimony,  172 
Ague-weed,  102 
Alder,  Black,  36 
Alder,  White,  86 
Alum-root,  328 
Andromeda,  Marsh,  54 
Anemone,  Long-fruited,  68 
Anemone,  Rue,  6 
Anemone,  Wood,  4 
Angelica,  Purple-stemmed,  92 
Arbutus,  Trailing,  195 
Arethusa,  290,  216 
Arrow-head,  109 
Arrow-wood,  28 
Aster,  Blue  wood,  312 
Aster,  Broad-leaved,  312 
Aster,  Golden,  180 
Aster,  New  England,  312 
Aster,  New  York,  314 
Aster,  Pointed-leaved,  99 
Aster,  Purple,  312,  314 
Aster,  Seaside  purple,  314 
Aster,  White,  90,  100 
Aster,  White  heath,  99 
Aster,  White  wood,  99 
Avens,  Purple,  310 
Avens,  Water,  310 
Avens,  White,  83 
Avens,  Yellow,  150 
Azalea,  Clammy,  50 
Azalea,  Pink,  208 

BAKKD-apple  berry,  42 
Balsam-apple,  Wild,  88 


Baneberry,  Red,  38 
Baneberry,  White,  36 
Barberry,  159 
Basil,  222 
Bay,  Sweet,  51 
Beach  Pea,  293 
Beach  Plum,  34 
Bean,  Wild,  330 
Bearberry,  32 
Beard-tongue,  290 
Bedstraw,  68 
Bedstraw,  Rough,  70 
Bedstraw,  Small,  70 
Bee  Balm,  264 
Beechdrops,  328 
Beechdrops,  False,  330 
Beggar-ticks,  184 
Bellflower,  European,  300 
Bellwort,  132 
Benjamin-bush,  124 
Bergamot,  Wild,  304 
Betony,  Wood,  128 
Bilberry,  Bog,  54 
Bindweed,  Hedge,  223 
Bird's  Nest,  90 
Birthroot,  256 
Bishop's  Cap,  18 
Bishop-weed,  Mock,  93 
Bitter-sweet,  121 
Blackberry,  Common,  43 
Blackberry,  High,  42 
Blackberry,  Running-swamp,  4C 
Blackberry,  Low,  43 
Black-eyed  Susan,  172 
Bladder  Campion,  105 
Bladderwort,  162 
Blazing  Star,  106,  316 


339 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Blood-root,  2 

Bluebells,  279 

Blueberry,  Common,  52 

Blueberries,  Low,  52 

Blue  Curls,  317 

Blue-eyed  Grass,  280 

Blue-eyed  Mary,  279 

Bluets,  274 

Blueweed,  298 

Boneset,  102 

Bouncing  Bet,  248 

Brooklime,  American,  285 

Brook-weed,  76 

Buckbean,  39 

Buckwheat,  Climbing  False,  102 

Bugbane,  70 

Bugle-weed,  94 

Bugloss-Viper's,  298 

Bunch-berry,  38 

Bunch  Flower,  80 

Bur  Marigold,  184.  186 

Burnet,  Great,  74 

Bush-honeysuckle,  150 

Butter-and-eggs,  163 

Butterfly-weed,  262 

Button-bush,  76 

CALico-bush,  43 

Calla,  Wild,  39 

Calypso,  206 

Campion,  Bladder,  105 

Campion,  Starry,  105 

Cancer-root,  328 

Cancer-root,  One-flowered,  281 

Cardinal-flower,  268 

Carrion-flower,  113 

Carrot,  Wild,  90 

Cat-brier,  113 

Celandine,  135 

Celandine  Poppy,  127 

Chamomile,  63 

Checkerberry,  62 

Chickweed,  67 

Chicory,  308 

Choke-berry,  8 

Choke-cherry,  19 

Cicely,  Sweet,  50 

Cinquefoii,  Common,  146 


Cinquefoil,  Rough,  146 
Cinquefoii,  Shrubby,  148 
Cinquefoil,  Silvery,  150 
Cinquefoii,  Three-toothed,  83 
Cleavers,  68 
Cloud-berry,  42 
Clover,  Bush,  240 
Clover,  Hop,  160 
Clover,  White  Sweet,  64 
Clover,  Yellow,  160 
Clover,  Yellow  Sweet,  140 
Cockspur  Thorn,  34 
Cohosh,  Black,  70 
Cohosh,  Blue,  120 
Colic-root,  88 
Columbine,  Wild,  254 
Coltsfoot,  127 
Cone-flower,  172 
Coral-root,  332 
Corn  Cockle,  293 
Cornel,  Dwarf,  38 
Corpse-plant,  62 
Corydalis,  Golden,  130 
Corydalis,  Pale,  205 
Cowbane,  Spotted,  91 
Cowslip,  124 
Cowslip,  Virginian,  279 
Cow  Wheat,  156 
Cranberry,  215 
Cranesbill,  Wild,  278 
Cress,  Rock,  12 
Cress,  Small  bitter,  12 
Cress,  Spring,  10 
Cress,  Water,  10 
Cress,  Winter,  142 
Cress,  Yellow  water,  143 
Crinkle-root,  9 
Crow-foot,  Early,  130 
Culver's  Root,  72 
Cuphea,  Clammy,  224 
Cynthia,  135 

DAISY,  Blue  Spring,  276 
Daisy  Fleabane,  60 
Daisy,  Ox-eyed,  60 
Daisy,  White,  60 
Dandelion,  145 
Dandelion,  Dwarf,  135 


340 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Dandelion,  Fall,  184 
Dangleberry,  52 
Day-flower,  306 
Deer-grass,  236 
Devil's  Bit,  106 
Devil's  Paintbrush,  266 
Dewberry,  43 
Dittany,  318 
Dockmackie,  26 
Dodder,  98 

Dogbane,  Spreading,  220 
Dogwood,  Alternate-leaved,  30 
Dogwood,  Panicled,  32 
Dogwood,  Red-osier,  32 
Dogwood,  Round-leaved,  30 
Dragon-head,  False,  250 
Dutchman's  Breeches,  16 
Dyer's  Green-weed,  163 

ELDER,  Common,  73 
Elder,  Red-berried,  38 
Elecampane,  180 
Enchanter's  Nightshade,   66 
Evening  Primrose,  178 
Everlasting,  Early,  8 
Everlasting,  Fragrant  Life,  112 
Everlasting,  Pearly,  no 
Everlasting,  Plantain  leaved,  8 
Eyebright,  281 

FEVBR-bush,  124 
Fireweed,  230  » 

Five  Finger,  148 
Flag.  Larger  Blue,  282 
Fleabane,  Daisy,  60 
Fleabane,  Philadelphia,  223 
Fleabane,  Salt  Marsh,  250 
Fleur-de-lis,  282 
Flowering-moss,  9 
Foam-flower,  18 
Forget-me-not,  286 
Foxglove,  Downy  False,  190 
Foxglove,  Smooth  False,  190 
Frost-weed,  152 
Fumitory,  Climbing,  228 

GALL-of-the-earth,  330 
Garget,  78 


Gentian,  Closed,  318 
Gentian,  Five-flowered,  318 
Gentian,  Fringed,  319 
Geranium,  Wild,  278 
Gerardia,  Purple,  248 
Gerardia,  Seaside,  250 
Gerardia,  Slender,  250 
Ghost-flower,  62 
Gill-over-the-ground,  274 
Ginger,  Wild,  324 
Ginseng,  22 
Ginseng,  Dwarf,  20 
Golden  Club,  134 
Golden-rod,  187,  188 
Gold  Thread,  8 
Goose-grass,  68 
Grass  of  Parnassus,  no 
Great  Burnet,  74 
Green-brier,  114 
Ground  Cherry,  96 
Ground  Ivy,  274 
Ground  Laurel,  195 
Ground-nut,  20,  330 
Groundsel,  Common,  138 
Groundsel  Tree,  109 

HARBINGER  of  Spring,  14 
Hardback,  232 
Harebell,  299 
Haw,  Black,  24 
Hawkweed,  144 
Hawkweed,  panicled,  145 
Hawkweed,  European,  266 
Hawkweed,  rough,  145 
Hawthorn,  32 
Heal-all,  288 
Hedge  Bindweed,  223 
Hellebore,  False,  113 
Hemlock,  Water,  91 
Hemp  Nettle,  224 
Hempweed,  Climbing,  253 
Herb  of  St.  Barbara,  142 
Herb  Robert,  226 
Hobble-bush,  26 
Hog  Peanut,  308 
Holly,  American,  36 
Holly,  Mountain,  36 
Honeysuckle,  Bush,  150 


341 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Honeysuckle,  Fly,  135 
Honeysuckle,  Trumpet,  268 
Honeysuckle,  White  Swamp,  50 
Honeysuckle,  Wild,  208 
Hop  Clover,  160 
Horehound,  Water,  93 
Horse  Balm,  177 
Hound's  Tongue,  264 
Huckleberry,  Common  Black,  51 
Huckleberry,  Squaw,  52 
Huntsman's  Cup,  258 
Hyacinth,  Wild,  106 

INDIAN  Cucumber-root,  140 
Indian  Fig,  158 
Indian  Pipe,  62 
Indian  Poke,  113 
Indian  Tobacco,  302 
Indian  Turnip,  324 
Indigo,  Wild,  160 
Innocence,  279 
Iron-weed,  314 
Ivy,  American,  116 
Ivy,  Ground,  274 
Ivy,  Poison,  116 

jACK-in-the-pulpit,  324 
Jamestown-weed,  98 
Jewel-weed,  176 
Joe-Pye-weed,  252 
June-berry,  3 

KNOTVVEED,  Amphibious,  234 
Knotweed,  Pink,  234 
Knotweed,  Sand,  252 

LABRADOR  Tea,  55 
Ladies'  Tresses,  106 
Lady's  Slipper,  Pink,  204 
Lady's  Slipper,  Showy,  214 
Lady's  Slipper,  Yellow,  138 
Lambkill,  212 
Larkspur,  276 
Laurel,  Great,  46 
Laurel,  Ground,  195 
Laurel  Magnolia,  51 
Laurel,  Mountain,  43 
Laurel,  Pale,  214 


Laurel,  Sheep,  212 
Leather-leaf,  55 
Leather-wood,  132 
Lettuce,  Wild,  186 
Lily,  Meadow,  161 
Lily,  Turk's  Cap,  260 
Lily,  White  Water,  108 
Lily,  Wild,  260 
Lily,  Wild  Red,  260 
Lily,  Wild  Yellow,  161 
Lily,  Wood,  260 
Lily,  Yellow  Pond,  158 
Linaria  Blue,  310 
Lion's  Foot,  330 
Liparis,  Lily-leaved,  328 
Liver-leaf,  270 
Liverwort,  270 
Lizard's  Tail,  40 
Lobelia,  Blue,  303 
Lobelia,  Great,  311 
Lobelia,  Water,  303 
Loosestrife,  Four-leaved,  154 
Loosestrife,  Purple,  234 
Loosestrife,  Yellow,  154 
Lopseed,  238 
Lousewort,  128 
Love  Vine,  98 
Lungwort,  279 
Lupine,  Wild,  286 

MAGNOLIA,  Laurel,  51 
Mallow,  Common,  242 
Mallow,  High,  306 
Mallow,  Marsh,  242 
Mallow,  Musk,  244 
Mallow,  Rose,  242 
Mallow,  Swamp,  242 
Mandrake,  14 
Marsh  Marigold,  122 
Marsh  Vetchling,  294 
May-apple,  14 
Mayflower,  195 
Mayweed,  63 
Meadow-beauty,  236 
Meadow  Lily,  161 
Meadow  Rue,  Early,  120 
Meadow  Rue,  Tall,  105 
Meadow-sweet,  82 


34* 


INDEX   TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Melilot,  White,  64 
Melilot,  Yellow,  140 
Milfoil,  90 

Milkweed,  Common,  229 
Milkweed,  Four-leaved,  229 
Milkweed,  Green-flowered,  120 
Milkweed,  Orange-red,  262 
Milkweed,  Purple,  229 
Milkweed,  Swamp,  229 
Milkwort,  226 
Mint,  Wild,  296 
Mitrewort,  18 
Mitre  wort,  False,  18 
Moccasin-flower,  204 
Monkey-flower,  292 
Moonseed,  40 
Moose  Wood,  132 
Morning  Glory,  Wild,  223 
Motherwort,  302 
Mountain  Fringe,  228 
Mountain  Holly,  36 
Mountain  Laurel,  43 
Mountain  Sandwort,  66 
Mountain  Starwort,  66 
Mountain  Tea,  62 
Mullein,  Common,  168 
Mullein,  Moth,  170 
Musk  Mallow,  244 
Mustard,  Black,  142 

NETTLE,  Hemp,  224 
New  Jersey  Tea,  64 
Nightshade,  300  , 

Nonesuch,  160 

ORANGE  Grass,  168 

Orchis,  Green,  118 

Orchis,  Large  round-leaved,  86 

Orchis,  Northern  White,  84 

Orchis,  Orange,  177 

Orchis,  Purple  Fringed,  288 

Orchis,  Ragged  Fringed,  118 

Orchis,  Showy,  200 

Orchis,  White  Fringed,  84 

Orchis,  Yellow  Fringed,  177 

Oswego  Tea,  264 

PAINTED  Cup,  258 
Parsnip,  Common  Wild,  133 


Parsnip,  Cow,  92 
Parsnip,  Early  Meadow,  133 
Parsnip,  Meadow,  133 
Parsnip,  Water,  93 
Partridge-pea,  171 
Partridge  Vine,  72 
Pennyroyal,  American,  303 
Pennyroyal,  Bastard,  317 
Pepperbush,  Sweet,  86 
Pepper  and  Salt,  14 
Peppermint,  296 
Pepper-root,  9 
Phlox,  Wild,  278 
Pickerel-weed,  299 
Pigeon-berry,  78 
Pimpernel,  266 
Pimpernel,  Water,  76 
Pine  Sap,  330 
Pine-weed,  168 
Pink,  Deptford,  223 
Pink,  Ground,  204 
Pink,  Moss,  204 
Pink,  Sea,  238 
Pink,  Swamp,  208 
Pink,  Wild,  202 
Pinxter-flower,  208 
Pipsissewa,  58 
Pipsissewa,  Spotted,  58 
Pitcher  Plant,  258 
Plantain,  Water,  109 
Plantain,  Rattlesnake,  83 
Plaintain,  Robin's,  276 
Pleurisy-root,  262 
Poison  Ivy,  116 
Poison  Sumach,  114 
Pokeweed,  78 
Polygala,  Fringed,  210 
Polygala,  Moss,  228 
Pond-lily,  Yellow,  158 
Poor-man 's-weather-glass,  266 
Poverty-grass,  152 
Prickly  Pear,  158 
Prince's  Pine,  58 
Pyrola,  One-flowered,  56 
Pyxie,  9 


QUAKER  Ladies,  274 
Queen  Anne's  Lace,  90 


34? 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


RADISH,  Wild,  144 
Ragwort,  Golden,  138 
Raspberry,  Purple-flowering,  222 
Rattlebox,  164 
Rattlesnake-plantain,  83 
Rattlesnake-root,  332 
Rattlesnake-weed,  144 
Red-root,  64 
Rheumatism-root,  19 
Rhododendron,  American,  46 
Rhodora,  202 
Rich-weed,  177 
Robin's  Plantain,  276 
Rocket,  Yellow,  142 
Rock-rose,  152 
Rosemary,  Marsh,  304 
Rue  Anemone,  6 
Rue,  Early  Meadow,  120 
Rue,  Tall  Meadow,  105 

ST.  ANDREW'S  Cross,  168 
St.  John's-wort,  Canadian,  166 
St.  John's-wort,  Common,  164 
St.  John's-wort,  Dwarf,  166 
St.  John's-wort,  Marsh.  244 
St.  John's-wort,  Pale,  166 
St.  John's-wort,  Spotted,  166 
Sand  Spurrey,  230 
Sandwort,  Broad-leaved,  67 
Sandwort,  Mountain,  66 
Sanicle,  92 

Sarsaparilla,  Bristly.  22 
Sarsaparilla,  Wild,  20 
Saxifrage,  Early,  16 
Saxifrage,  Swamp,  121 
Scabious,  Sweet,  60 
Sea  Lavender,  304 
Sea  Lungwort.  280 
Sea  Rocket,  304 
Self-heal,  288 
Senna,  Wild,  171 
Service-berry,  3 
Shad-bush,  3 
Sheep  Laurel,  312 
Shepherd's  Purse,  12 
Shin-leaf,  56 
Side-saddle  Flower,  258 
Silver-rod,  188 


Silver-weed,  146 
Simpler's  Joy,  291 
Skull-cap,  284 
Skull-cap,  Larger,  284 
Skull-cap,  Mad  Dog,  284 
Skunk  Cabbage,  321 
Snakeroot,  Black,  70,  92 
Snakeroot,  White,  104 
Sneezeweed,  184 
Snowberry,  Creeping.  23 
Soapwort,  248 
Solomon's  Seal,  128 
Solomon's  Seal,  False,  24 
Sorrel,  Violet  Wood,  281 
Sorrel,  Wood,  48 
Sorrel,  Yellow  Wood,  174 
Spatter  Dock,  158 
Spearmint,  296 
Spearwort,  156 
Speedwell,  Common,  285 
Speedwell,  Thyme-leaved,  286 
Spice-bush,  124 
Spiderwort,  316 
Spikenard,  22 
Spoonwood,  43 
Spring  Beauty,  198 
Spurge,  74 
Squaw-weed,  138 
Squirrel  Corn,  16 
Stagger  Bush,  54 
Staghorn  Sumach,  114 
Star-flower,  6 
Star-grass,  88 
Star-grass,  Yellow,  159 
Starwort,  Mountain,  66 
Steeple-bush,  232 
Stick-tight,  184 
Stitchwort,  67 
Stone-root,  177 
Succory,  308 
Sumach,  Poison,  114 
Sumach,  Staghorn,  114 
Sundew,  77 
Sundrops,  161 
Sunflower,  Swamp,  184 
Sunflower,  Wild,  182 
Swamp  Cabbage,  321 
Sweet  Cicely,  50 


344 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Sweet  Pepperbush,  86 
Sweet  William,  Wild,  279 

TANSY,  192 

Tear-thumb,  Arrow-leaved,  104 
Tear-thumb,  Halberd-leaved,  104 
Thimble-weed,  68 
Thistle,  Yellow,  187 
Thorn-apple,  98 
Thoroughwort,  102 
Thyme,  Creeping,  317 
Tick-trefoil,  246 
Toadflax,  Bastard,  64 
Toadflax,  Blue,  310 
Toadflax,  Yellow,  163 
Toothwort,  9 
Touch-me-not,  176 
Trailing  Arbutus,  195 
Traveller's  Joy,  94 
Trillium,  Larger  White,  18 
Trillium,  Nodding,  19 
Trillium,  Painted,  19 
Trillium,  sessile,  256 
Trumpet-weed,  252 
Turtle-head,  96 
Twin-flower,  198 
Twin-leaf,  19 
Twisted  Stalk,  201 

VBNUS'S  Looking-glass,  298 
Vervain,  Blue,  291 
Vervain,  White,  94    » 
Vetch,  Blue,  294 
Vetch,  Common  Blue,  294 
Viburnum,  Maple-leaved,  26 
Violet,  Bird-foot,  273 
Violet,  Canada,  23 
Violet,  Common  Blue,  272 
Violet,  Dog,  273 
Violet,  Dog's  Tooth,  126 
Violet,  Downy  Yellow,  133 
Violet,  Lance-leaved,  23 
Violet,  Round-leaved,  134 


Violet,  Sweet  White,  23 
Viper's  Bugloss,  298 
Virginia  Creeper,  116 
Virgin's  Bower,  94 

WAKE  Robin,  256 
Water  Arum,  39 
Water  Cress,  10 
Water  Hemlock.  91 
Water  Horehound,  93 
Waterleaf,  66 
Water-lily,  White,  108 
Water-parsnip,  93 
Water-pepper,  Mild,  100 
Water  Pimpernel,  76 
Water-plantain,  109 
Water  Shield,  292 
Wax-weed,  224 
Wax-work,  121 

Wayfaring-tree,  American,  26 
Whin,  New  England,  163 
Whip-poor-will's-shoe,  138 
White-hearts,  16 
White-thorn,  32 
White-weed,  60 
Whitlow-grass,  10 
Willow-herb,  Great,  230 
Willow-herb,  Hairy,  232 
Willow-herb,  Small,  232 
Wind-flower,  6 
Winterberry,  36 
Wintergreen,  62 
Witch-hazel,  192 
Withe-rod,  28 
Woad-waxen,  163 
Woodbine,  269 
Wood  Sorrel,  48 
Wood  Sorrel,  Violet,  281 
Wood  Sorrel,  Yellow,  174 

YARROW,  90 
Yellow-eyed  Grass,  162 
Yellow  Rattle,  164 


INDEX  OF  TECHNICAL  TERMS 


ANTHER,  xxxii 
Axil,  xxix 
Axillary,  xxix 

BRACT,  xxx 
Bulb,  xxviii 

CALYX,  xxi 
Cleistogamous,  xxvi 
Complete  flower,  xxxi 
Compound  leaf,  xxix 
Corm,  xxviii 
Corolla,  xxxi 
Corymb,  xxix 
Cross-fertilization,  xxiii 

DIMORPHOUS,  274 
Disk-flowers,  xxxiv 
Doctrine  of  signatures,  xxi 

ENTIRE  leaf,  xxix 

FEMALE  flower,  xxxii 
Filament,  xxxi 
Fruit,  xxxii 

HEAD,  xxx 
INVOLUCRE,  xxx 

MALE  flower,  xxxii 
Much-divided  leaf,  xxix 

NEUTRAL  flower,  xxxii 
OVARY,  xxtii 


PAPILIONACEOUS,  xxxvi 
Perianth,  xxxi 
Petal,  xxxi 
Pistil,  xxxii 
Pistillate  flower,  xxxii 
Pollen,  xxxii 

RACEME,  xxix 
Ray-flowers,  xxxiv 
Root,  xxviii 
Rootstock,  xxviii 

SCAPE,  xxviii 
Self-fertilization,  xxiii 
Sepal,  xxxi 
Sessile,  xxxi 
Simple  leaf,  xxix 
Simple  stem,  xxviii 
Spadix,  xxx 
Spathe,  xxx 
Spike,  xxx 
Stamen,  xxxi 
Staminate  flower,  xxxii 
Stem,  xxviii 
Stemless,  xxviii 
Stigma,  xxxii 
Strap-shaped,  xxxiv 
Style,  xxxii 

TRIMORPHISM,  254 
Tuber,  xxviii 
Tubular-shaped,  xxxiv 

UNISEXUAL,  xxxii 
WHORL,  xxix 


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